What Lies Within
by KidatHeart5
Summary: The fifth installment in CartoonNerd12's fairy tale series. Based on the fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty". When a sleeping curse hits everywhere in Equestria, the remaining royals must face a dark threat…and some surprising foes! Creative consultant: CartoonNerd12.
1. Prologue

_Once upon a time, there was a crystalline kingdom. It was renowned for its beauty and the love it radiated across Equestria. At the center of the Crystal Empire was the Crystal Heart, a powerful item that protected the kingdom and all who lived in it from harm. One day, a dragon stole the Crystal Heart and the Umbrum moved in to attack the Empire. The shadow ponies were driven back by Star Swirl the Bearded and banished to the Arctic Wastes of the Frozen North._

 _When the Crystal Heart was returned, the Crystal ponies thought they were safe and secure…until_ she _came._

 _The Umbrum were once again renewed thanks to their self-proclaimed princess, Belladonna. Her origins were shrouded in mystery, but her evil was far greater than that of any villain in Equestria. She overthrew the two princesses ruling the Empire and twisted the kingdom in her own image. When they received word that Belladonna had taken over the Empire, Celestia and Sombra raced to stop her. Using the power of their love for each other, they managed to defeat the dark pony and banish her to the far reaches of the icy tundra._

 _For years, the Arctic Wastes that served as a prison for the worst of the worst remained quiet and foreboding. But then, during a solar eclipse, the crystal that encased a formidable foe had broken._

 _She was finally free._


	2. Sick Day

"WAAA-CHOOO!"

The Everfree Castle rocked at the sound of the sneeze. When the shaking died down, Fluttershy emerged from the bedroom.

Screwball, her daughter, asked, "How's Dad doing?"

Her mother sighed, "He'll be fine. He just caught a bad bug."

A voice shouted from the bedroom, "Well, how was I supposed to know the darn Tatzlwurm was sick?!"

There was another sneeze and a large suction dart came flying through the doorway. Fluttershy and Screwy ducked when the projectile hit and stuck to the wall.

Screwy asked her, "Does that mean Dad will have to miss the Crystal Faire?"

Fluttershy nodded sadly, "I'm afraid so, honey."

"Can I see him?"

Twilight came up to them and told Screwy, "Hang on a minute."

Twilight Sparkle was the youngest of Celestia and Sombra's daughters before Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo were adopted. Twilight had just recently become queen, but she made time to visit her older sisters at the Everfree Castle before heading off to the Crystal Faire with them.

She cast a quarantine spell over the doorway so that anypony who visited Discord would be protected until the draconequus got better.

Discord crossed his arms and grumbled, "Oh, great. I can't even touch my own daughter now? That makes me _really_ comfortable, Sparkle."

Twilight retorted, "That's _Queen_ Twilight Sparkle to you!"

"Oh? So you're Miss High-and-Mighty now, are you? Almost a year ago, you _hated_ the idea of becoming queen! Achoo!"

A lemon meringue pie flew through the doorway and landed cream-first into Twilight's face.

Discord smiled, "Hee, hee. There's a bit of payback for you."

Screwy giggled, "I think the spell keeps you from getting sick, but not Daddy's magic."

Just then, Rarity came along and gasped, "Twilight! Whatever happened to you, dearest?"

Twilight grumbled, "Don't ask."

Rarity was the second-born of the daughters while Fluttershy was the eldest. Their sisters, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, followed them suit in birth order.

The unicorn used a handkerchief to wipe the cream from her sister's face. She then asked, "Tell me, how did Discord catch this illness?

Fluttershy explained, "Remember the research trip Discord and I took out on the Badlands? He got too close to a sick Tatzlwurm and it sneezed on him. I had to take him home right away."

"If you ask me, you should've brought back the Tatzlwurm instead."

Discord shouted from his bed, "I resent that remark!" He coughed and then sneezed again. This time, silverware flew through the doorway and hit the wall beside the suction dart.

Rarity gasped, "This is expensive cutlery! You can't tarnish them by throwing them around!

"Well, how would you like being sick and having your magic go awry on you?!"

Screwy sighed, "It's sad Daddy can't go to the Crystal Faire with us." She then beamed, "I know how to cheer him up!"

With a flick of her purple and white tail, a cotton candy cloud appeared. It followed Screwball into the bedroom. Her father lied sick in bed all green and covered with darker green spots.

Screwball said, "Here, Daddy. Hope this makes you feel better."

She closed her eyes and concentrated as the propeller on her red and yellow hat began to spin. A plastic cup with a crazy straw appeared and floated in midair. The lid was telekinetically taken off and the cloud began to rain chocolate milk into the cup. When the cloud stopped pouring, the lid was put back on the cup.

Discord grabbed the cup and smiled, "Thank you, sweetheart. It's just what I needed. Great job using your magic, too. You're getting better and better every day. Maybe one day, you can be as powerful as your old pop, huh?"

"Well, you and Aunt Twilight have been teaching me."

Discord smirked at his daughter, "I think I'm the better teacher. Don't you?"

He snorted before he sneezed again. Screwball had a magic health bubble to protect her from her father's germs. When she looked up, however, she saw that her hat had been replaced by fake bunny ears.

Discord smiled sheepishly, "Oops! Sorry."

Screwball chuckled, "That's okay, Daddy."

She put a hoof to her muzzle and blew her nose. While she did so, the bunny ears reverted back into her beanie.

"I'll bring you back something from the Faire, okay?"

"I've got a better idea. What if we had our own fair? We will have tons of fun when you get back. How about that?"

Screwball began to excitedly chatter, "Yeah! Then we can have merry-go-rounds, Ferris wheels, flugelhorns!"

"Uh…Trust me, your Aunt Pinkie would get crazy with the flugelhorns."

He sneezed once more and suddenly, a dozen flugelhorns popped out of thin air.

Discord face-palmed, "Oh, great."

A pink blur then rushed into the room and said, "Hey! Look at all these flugelhorns!" Pinkie grabbed one and said, "Thanks, Discord!"

When her aunt zipped out of the room, Screwball turned to her dad and smiled sheepishly, "See you soon, Daddy." She then raced out of the room while calling out, "Aunt Pinkie! Dad says you're not supposed to have one! It'll make you crazy!"

Just then, Fluttershy came in the room as she said, "Um, Discord? I hope you don't mind, but…" She stopped short when she saw the pile of flugelhorns. She pointed to them as she asked, "Did you accidentally sneeze these up?"

Discord sarcastically retorted, "No. I had them ordered by snail mail. Of course I sneezed them up!"

"Oh, I know how cranky you get when you're sick. That's why I called in a special friend to take care of you while we're gone."

The spirit asked in a distasteful tone, "Oh, really? Do tell."

While Discord sipped his chocolate milk, Fluttershy said, "Well, we've been thinking, and we would like Zecora to watch over you."

Discord stopped mid-sip and spit out his drink in surprise. He cried, "Zecora?! Why her?!"

"Well, think about it. She specializes in herbal remedies and could probably find a cure for you."

"But you've drunk her tea. It's…" When Fluttershy gave him a glare, he smiled nervously and said, "…one of the most delectable things I've ever tasted. I would love to try it again."

The yellow Pegasus smiled, "Oh, good. I'll have Zecora make it for you while she's here."

After she left the room, Discord fell back onto his pillow and let out a groan that was near the point of tears.

The royal family, save for Discord, waved off to Zecora as they departed for the Crystal Empire.

"Good-bye!"

"Bye, Zecora!"

"Take care of Discord!"

The zebra chuckled, "Fear not, dear Fluttershy. On Discord, I will keep my eye."

When she went back into the castle, a hand bell sounded throughout the castle. She said, "I believe that is Discord. Of chaos, he is lord."

She rushed upstairs just as Discord called out, "Zecora!"

She entered the bedroom and asked, "Discord, is something troubling you? How can I ease your bothersome flu?"

Discord put on his most innocent face, but he couldn't hide the mischievous tone in his voice as he said, "Oh, nothing, except for a little, small request."

"Yes, I guess?"

Discord started singing, _"A little glass of water, please…A fresh-pressed hanky if I sneeze…Some tea with honey from the bees…whenever you can brew it…"_

"In no time flat."

 _"_ _And while I get a little rest, a teeny, tiny, small request…some codfish oil for my chest…poured from a crystal cruet…"_

"You require that?"

Discord sang faster this time, _"My goodness, I'm a nincompoop…because I fear I've got the croup…I need a vat of pumpkin soup…And scarves made out of zinnias…Did I say 'zinnias'? I meant 'silk'…or something shiny of that ilk…And then I'll need some nice, warm milk and pastries from Abyssinia…And since my stomach's feeling crummy, why not give my aching tummy something soothing, something yummy piled up with noodles…Add a slice of homemade rye with stacks of Swiss way up high…Served with sides of sweet mince pie…More basil; I need oodles!"_

Zecora asked in an annoyed tone, "More things you might…?"

Before she could finish her sentence, Discord continued singing, _"I'll be grateful for your charity until the bitter end…because I've heard that tenderness is what you'd lend an ailing friend…"_

He then asked her in a merry tone, "Tenderness, isn't that right, friend?"

Zecora answered uneasily, "Right."

"So, who's ready for my big reprise?"

He resumed singing, _"I'd like that glass of water, please…some magic spell to cure disease…A firm 'gesundhoof' when I sneeze…A fresh bouquet of roses…Some lozenges will soon appease my wheezing when I start to sneeze…A wig to keep me from the breeze…and blankets for my toes-es..Take tweezers out of my valise…and then massage my knobby knees…A bowl of peas, some extra cheese…A cuddle with a Pekingese…A singing harp whose named Louise…A goat on skis, a new trapeze…and more and more and more and more of theeeese…And just because I oughta…make sure I'm drinking in the right amount of fluids day and night…I wish I may, I wish I might…have just one little thing…Oh, would you please finally bring me that tiny glass of wateeeeeeerrrrrrrrr!"_

Discord lied back in his bed again and let out a cough. Zecora, on the other hoof, was sprawled across the floor and wet along with the rest of the room.

She sighed, "If nursing Discord is as it seems to be, then this has become more difficult for me."

Dawn was breaking in Canterlot. Though she was retired from royal duties, Celestia continued raising and lowering the sun. It made her feel useful after she and her husband, Sombra, had passed down their crowns to Twilight and her husband, Flash Sentry. Celestia and Luna still lowered and raised the sun and the moon even after the coronation of the elder sister's youngest biological daughter.

Celestia smiled as the sun's warm embrace touched her white coat. She had a minute or two of silence before she heard the sound of hooves clopping up the hallway. She smiled as she turned to her husband, "Good morning, my dear…"

She trailed off when she saw her dear Sombra. He looked like a shadow of his usual self. He had weary eyes and he looked like he was about to collapse.

"…est? Whatever happened to you?"

Sombra rubbed his eyes and explained through his exhaustion, "I should have come to you earlier, my love. I've been having difficulty sleeping for the past few nights and I fear that something is amiss."

"Why do you say that? There hasn't been a hint of crisis since Twilight took our place."

Sombra nodded wearily, "I know, but I sense darkness just over the horizon." He then sighed, "I only hope the girls and their families will be safe."

"If you are having troublesome dreams, then perhaps I can help."

The royal couple turned towards the voice and found that it belonged to a dark blue alicorn who just landed on the balcony.

Luna said, "The next time you sleep, I shall be with you."

Celestia asked, "You are not going to the Faire, then?"

Her sister shook her head, "Not if this is important. You see, I, too, have a strange feeling that something wicked is coming this way. I have peered into the dreams of clairvoyants and seen a darkness blanketing all of Equestria."

Sombra's tired eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Yes, that is exactly what I dreamed about! But there is something else: a shadow of somepony who was banished years ago. What is strange, though, is that there was a glow within her. I felt like I somehow knew her, but then I didn't. It is very confusing. Luna, I do not wish for you to miss the Faire…"

Luna held a hoof up and said, "This is of critical importance. You are my brother-in-law and my granddaughter's great-uncle. If I do not help you remedy this, the family will be worried about you."

He then turned to his wife, who nodded, "She is right, Sombra. We do not want to alarm the others if this is, indeed, fixable."

Sombra sighed, and then smiled, "You are right as always, my dear sweet Celestia." Luna raised her eyebrow in a disgruntled way and he corrected, "You too, Luna. Both of you are very wise and I shall listen to your advice."

Celestia kissed him on the cheek, "Thank you, my love."

 _ **AN: Bonus! CartoonNerd12 added the dialogue bit between Discord and Twilight just before he sneezed the pie on her.**_


	3. The Crystal Faire

Twilight Sparkle, her sisters, Princess Cadance, and Shining Armor stepped out onto the balcony.

The queen of Canterlot tried to announce, "Hear ye! Hear-"

"FLU-GEL-HOOORRRN!"

The royals turned towards Pinkie, who was blowing her flugelhorn. She saw that they were glaring at her and she shrugged, "What? This thing is so much fun."

After the royals rolled their eyes, Twilight cleared her throat and resumed announcing, "Hear ye! Hear ye! The royal family declares that the Crystal Faire will now commence!"

The crowd of ponies, crystal or otherwise, cheered as the Faire began.

Much of the Canterlot family volunteered to work at the booths of their choosing. Applejack and Apple Bloom gave out delicious treats such as corn-on-the-cob and crystal berry pie, and Cheese Sandwich was giving out balloons and balloon animals to the kids. Fluttershy oversaw the petting zoo while Rarity made elegant hats for the customers. Pinkie Pie acted as the Faire clown and Rainbow Dash held jousting tournaments with Scootaloo and Rumble. Fancy Pants was a judge for various contests and Twilight and Flash oversaw the whole festivity with Cadance and Shining Armor. The rest of the family took the kids around the Faire.

Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle had once been orphans before they were adopted by Celestia and Sombra. When the time came for a competition to win the prince of Marendelle's hoof, they were obliged to participate. Sweetie Belle won, but her prize was something far more precious than a chance to become Queen of Marendelle: Prince Button Mash's heart. Her adopted sisters got consolation prizes, though: their true loves. The colts who accompanied the three princesses on their trip won the hearts of two of them. All three couples decided to stay in Marendelle and raise their own families.

Sweetie Belle was sad that her husband was too busy to attend the Crystal Faire, but she was determined to have a good time with her two daughters, Snow Pea and Little Button. Snow Pea was the spitting image of her mother, save for the brown eyes and the French braid, and Little Button was also like their mom except for the red-brown mane and the Earth pony gene she inherited from her father. This was the first time the girls had ever attended the Crystal Faire. Little Button had no trouble having fun at the Faire, but Sweetie's other daughter was a different story. Ever since she was born, Snow Pea had behaved every bit like the regal heir she was…maybe too much. She was afraid of socializing with other ponies her age and preferred to keep close in the company of her family. It was all because she had snow powers.

Snow Pea might've been born on the warm island of Marendelle, but she had magic unlike anything ever seen in a royal member of Marendelle. Her mother was the first unicorn co-ruler of the kingdom – considering that Snow Pea's father's side was all Earth ponies - but the heir to the throne felt like she was different…too different. Her snow and ice magic was unpredictable, so that was why she kept to herself mainly. She wanted to be like her mother, so she resolved to practice using her magic on occasion. Thanks to tutoring from her Aunt Twilight, her mother, and her grandmother, she felt just a bit more confident in her powerful abilities.

Little Button jumped up and down while she excitedly asked, "What can we do now, Mommy? Can we go on the big wheel one more time?"

Sweetie Belle chuckled, "We will, but I want to show you something first. I think you're going to like this."

She led her girls to the dais. The princesses' eyes widened when they saw the Crystal Heart up close for the first time.

Snow Pea gasped, "The Crystal Heart?"

Sweetie Belle nodded as she smiled, "They say that it reflects whatever is in your heart and can show you the future."

Little Button beamed, "Really?"

"Mm-hmm. But you know what? You always have the power to change your future."

Snow Pea asked, "But how?"

"By changing yourself for the better." Sweetie gave a wink, causing her eldest daughter to blush. She then ushered them, "Go on. Take a look. You might never know what you find."

The two fillies peered into the Crystal Heart. Little Button saw herself all grown up and helping young ponies. Snow Pea, however, saw a different picture. She saw herself as an adult and taming the flurries and sleet on top of a snow-covered rise. She looked mainly like her mother, but she still retained those warm brown eyes that denoted her kind personality. What really struck Snow Pea was that there were strange, horse-like beings in the wind and that her older self looked…happy.

What were those strange beings? Were they Windigos, like the ones Snow Pea's parents told her about? It was because of these unearthly creatures that she didn't take much pride in her gifts. She felt like a freak, so she repressed them for as much as possible. She remembered the last time she used them out in the open…

Snow Pea had been only four and Little Button was two. She wanted to show her sister how much fun wintery stuff could be. She led Little Button outside and conjured up snow just for the two of them. They had fun for a while until Snowy decided to freeze the lagoon. However, since her magic was still in the developing stages, she only froze about half of the water. The sisters skated alongside the ice until LB accidentally slid over the edge. Thankfully, the younger sister had grabbed the edge of the ice to keep from drowning.

After hearing Little Button's shrieks, the girls' parents came to rescue her. They knew that it was an accident and that it was not Snow Pea's fault, but Snowy felt like it was. The incident was not unseen by others, however. For days, the townsponies gossiped about the heir and her powers. One day, one word had reached Snow Pea's ear: _Windigo_.

When she returned to the castle, Snow Pea asked her parents, "Mommy? Daddy? What's a Windigo?"

Button Mash and Sweetie Belle exchanged nervous glances when they knew that the day had come to explain something to their daughter.

Her mother calmly said, "Windigos are creatures of the wind. They create snow and winter weather. They're…the reason you have snow powers."

Snow Pea's eyes widened with shock and she asked, "Am I a Windigo?"

Button shook his head and chuckled softly, "No, sweetheart. Your powers are from the Windigos, but you are our daughter, 100% pony."

Snow Pea took comfort in his words, but she was worried about how others would think of her from now on. Her family members were the only ones who would accept her for who she was. From that day on, she would never use her powers ever again except for training and only when she needed to.

"So, did you see anything interesting?"

The sisters and Sweetie Belle turned around in surprise to see Sunset Shimmer!

The girls both cried, "Aunt Sunny!"

The princesses ran into Sunset's open arms and embraced her. Little Button smiled, "Aunt Sunny, I saw me all growed up!"

Sunset gasped playfully, "Did you?"

LB nodded, "Uh-huh! And I was helping little ponies like me!"

The amber mare smiled, "Well, I'm sure you will be a great princess someday." She turned to Snow Pea and asked, "What about you, Snowy? What did you see?"

Snow Pea's eyes flickered to the side as she stuttered, "Well…um…I was…using my powers…and I was…happy."

Sunset knew that Snow Pea was uncomfortable with her gifts, so she said, "You don't sound happy."

Snow Pea hung her head for a moment before looking back up at Sunset with glistening eyes. She said, "Can't I change my future like Mom said? I can change myself for the better. I don't understand why I would be happy with my powers."

Sunset sensed that Snow Pea was troubled by what she saw, so the amber unicorn went to Sweetie Belle and whispered, "Would it be okay if I took a walk with Snow Pea?"

Sweetie Belle nodded, "Of course. Besides Button and me, you're the only pony she'll listen to. You two share a special bond. If there's anypony she'll confide in, it's you."

"I'll help Snow Pea in any way I can. You may be the Queen of Marendelle, but in my eyes, you'll always be my sister."

The adult sisters embraced before Sunset took Snow Pea in her company.

Spike and Soarin' took Apple Jewel, Whirl Wind, and Screwball to the Twirl-a-Whirl. After a few turns, only the Pegasi colts opted to keep going on the ride. Spike, on the other hand, sent the girls to the food stand while he went to the nearest bathroom.

"Hey, y'all!" Applejack greeted them. "How were the rides?" She looked around and asked Apple Jewel, "Where is your pa, Jewel?"

Apple Jewel responded, "The Twirl-a-Whirl made him sick, so he went to the bathroom."

Applejack chuckled, "Yep. That sounds like your pa, all right."

Screwball sighed, "I wish mine was here."

Apple Bloom comforted, "Gee, Screwy, I'm sorry your dad ain't here to enjoy the Faire with ya."

"Yeah, but he'd think that it'd be boring. Knowing Dad, he'd try to liven things up a little."

Apple Jewel giggled, "Yeah. Most of what he does is funny. Hey, you have the same powers as he does. Can you spice up the Faire like he would?"

Applejack protested, "Whoa there, little fillies! I don't want you causing trouble for the rest of the folks here."

Apple Bloom pleaded, "Please, big sis? Screwball won't cause any trouble. Let me watch her the whole time."

Applejack knew she couldn't refuse the now-wide and glistening eyes of the fillies and AB. She groaned, "Fine, but y'all better not make too much trouble, ya hear?"

They all nodded, "We promise!" Then, they all dashed off.

Applejack sighed, "What am I gonna do with those three?"

Pipsqueak was chaperoning Apple Butter, Roller Blade, and Skater. Apple Butter, like Snow Pea, was the spitting image of her mother, Apple Bloom. What set the filly apart, though, was the brown spot she inherited from her father. Roller Blade and Skater both inherited their coat color from their mother, Scootaloo, but RB also had her mane color while Skater's mane was jet-black like that of her father, Rumble. The twins both had violet eyes closely resembling their father's.

Apple Butter gasped, "Daddy! Can we go in there?"

She pointed to a purple tent with a sign that read "THE AMAZING GOLDEN MIST! HAVE YOUR FORTUNE TOLD FOR ONLY 12 BITS! SHE WILL NOT DISAPPOINT!"

This caught the twins' attention and they turned to their uncle, pleading, "Please? Can we?"

Pipsqueak smiled, "Of course we can. They're just simple fortunes, nothing more."

The foursome entered the dim interior of the tent. The inside was lit only by candles and a shining crystal ball. Just then, in a puff of smoke, a unicorn mare with a pale apple green coat, a luminous vivid orange mane with brilliant yellow streaks, and brilliant raspberry eyes appeared out of the mist.

She said in an entrancing and silky voice, "Greetings. I am Golden Mist, the one and only. I am here to read your fortunes and, if you desire it, show you the future. Bits first, please."

Pip gave her exactly 12 bits per pony and Mist looked at the coins in absolute shock. She gasped, "Why…these are…marked with a royal seal!"

"I know," Pip nodded. "I am Prince Pip." He gestured to his daughter, "This is my daughter, Apple Butter." Then, he gestured to the twins, "And these are my niece and nephew, Skater and Roller Blade."

"Oh, this is a great honor, Your Highness. I never expected my tent to be graced by royalty. Perhaps the children would like to hear the wise words of Golden Mist?"

The children nodded and agreed in excitement, "I wanna see my future! I want my fortune! Will my wildest dreams come true?"

Pip calmed down the fillies and colt, "Now, now, now. Let's see what Golden Mist can do about your requests. After all, we don't want to burden the poor mare, do we?"

Mist sang angrily, _"Don't you disrespect me, stallion! Don't you derogate or deride…"_

She continued singing in a calmer voice, _"You're in my world now, not your world…and I got friends on the other side…"_

Just then, an eerie echo sang out of nowhere, _"She's got friends on the other side…"_

Mist clarified, "That's an echo, Highnesses. Just a little something that I learned in Alexandraya, little parlor trick. Don't worry."

She resumed singing, _"Sit down at my table…Put your minds at ease…If you relax, it will enable me to do anything I please…I can show your future…I can change it round some, too…I'll look deep into your heart and soul…You have a strong soul, don't you, Prince Pip? Make your wildest dreams come true…_

 _"_ _I got powders, I got potions, I got things I have never tried…and I got friends on the other side…"_

The mysterious echo once again sang out, _"She's got friends on the other side…"_

Golden Mist continued singing, _"The ball, the ball, the ball will tell…the past, the present, and the future, as well…The ball, the ball, just you see…Take a little trip into your future with me…"_ She put her horn to the crystal ball and emitted a vivid amaranth aura until the ball responded to the glow.

She sang, _"Now you, Prince Pip, were once a poor young colt…to any call for help, you'd always bolt…"_ She said to Pip, "I hear you're still the same helper to this day." She resumed singing, " _You longed for a quest, but your funds were low…You then married a little princess for love instead of dough…"_ She told Pip, "You're lucky to have a daughter who's the spitting image of her mother, huh?"

Apple Butter scoffed, "Hardly."

Golden Mist said, "That brown spot got you down? Always worrying that you will never find true love because of it? Well, little filly, I got just the answer." She chuckled and then sang, _"It's beauty, it's beauty, it's beauty you need…and when I look into your future, it's beauty that I see…"_

She turned to the twins in disgust and sang, _"On you, royal twins, I don't want to waste much time…You've been fighting all your life…You've been fighting for your mother and your father and your cousins…And if you were dating, it would be just one more strife…But in your future, the two I see…are exactly the ones you always wanted to be…"_

As the children left the tent in excitement, Pip turned to Golden Mist and said, "Thank you, miss. You've made the children very happy."

Golden Mist then stopped him, "Oh, just before you go…" She pulled out a red crystal charm and sang, _"Take this gift. Come on now, won't you take a small, precious gift?"_ Pip hesitantly took the charm and wore it. A broad, malicious smile spread across Mist's face as she continued to sing, " _Yes! Are you ready?"_

Suddenly, the red crystal glowed and encased Pip in its devilish aura. The prince found he could not move despite his struggles.

The echo rang out, _"Are you ready?"_

Mist then opened a chest as she sang, _"Are you ready?"_ An eerie yellow green glow radiated from within the chest and the unicorn pulled out a hoofheld mirror. She continued singing, _"Transformation Central!"_

The echo sang, _"Transformation Central!"_

Just then, Golden Mist's light raspberry irises turned green as she sang, _"Reformation Central!"_

 _"_ _Reformation Central!"_

 _"_ _Transmogrification Central! Can you feel it?"_

As soon as Mist held up the mirror, black smoke shot out of the mirror and surrounded Pip.

The unicorn sang, _"You're changing, you're changing, you're changing, all right! I hope you're satisfied."_

The mirror then pulled the smoke into it as Mist finished, _"But if you aren't, don't blame me…You can blame my friends on the other side!"_

Mist cackled while the echo sang, _"You got what you wanted!"_

Another, more feminine, echo sang out, _"But you lost what you had!"_

Golden Mist then shushed, _"Hush!"_

Amidst the happy crowd of festival attendees, Sunset and Snow Pea talked amongst themselves.

Sunset asked, "So, Snow Pea, how's your training coming along?"

Snow Pea said, "Okay, I guess. Mom, Grandma Tia, and Aunt Twilight have been helping me control my powers more." She then sighed, "But, to be honest, I'm not even sure I want snow magic."

"I know it may not be easy to have powers like yours, but you know what? You're special just the way you are." She then began to sing, _"I can see it when you're feeling low…You can't hide that from me…You're no roan or palomino…so why keep trying to be? 'Cuz you're more than that…You love dogs and cats…I wish you could see the you I see…_

 _"_ _I say find your spark, celebrate it…Make your mark, serenade it…All those larks should have somepony like you…And if what you are is a strange you doesn't mean you should change you…Only means you should change your point of view…_

 _"_ _Niece of mine…you are just fine…To thine own self be true…Your know-how's the cat's meow…It's how I know you're you…You don't need the bows or tiara…Bid your woes sayonara…Smell this rose or daisy before you go…_

 _"_ _When you tell a tale, you enchant them…Spirits sail when you help them…When you wail, we'll help you get through your woe…There is not one hair of you that I would rearrange…I love you the way you are and that will never change…That will never change…"_

Sweet Pea embraced her aunt and smiled, "Thank you for making me feel better, Aunt Sunny."

Sunset wrapped a hoof around her niece and chuckled, "No problem, kiddo."

"Step right up! Toss the hoop on one of these bottles! Only five bits!"

The two girls turned towards the voice and found that it came from an Earth pony in a booth. The vendor had an arctic bluish white coat, a light arctic blue mane with moderate persian blue stripes in a ponytail, and moderate raspberry eyes. She saw Sunset and Snow Pea and said cheerfully, "Hey, you two over there! How would you like to play this game of chance? Only five bits."

Sunset asked Snow Pea, "How about it, kiddo? Should we try it?"

Snow Pea nodded, "Uh-huh."

"Then let's have some fun."

The vendor shook Sunset's hoof and said, "I'm so glad you came by today. I'm So - Uh, Sea Wave. I can guarantee you that this game of chance is 100% fair." Secretly, she had rigged the game so that nopony would win. However, her jaw dropped when she saw the coins Sunset gave to her. She gasped, "You're…royalty?"

Sunset nodded, "Yep. Snow Pea and me both."

Sea Wave squealed with excitement, "EEEEE! Ohmigosh, ohmigosh!" She pointed to Sunset, "You're a princess!" She then pointed to Snow Pea, "And _you're_ a princess! Can I please have your autograph? It would mean a lot to me!"

"Sure," Sunset nodded. When Sea Wave pulled out a blank piece of paper and some ink, Sunset and Snow Pea inked their hooves and pressed them onto the paper. "Here you go," she said as she gave back the paper.

Sea Wave jumped up and down as she held the autograph. She squealed, "Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Snow Pea asked, "Uh, aren't you going to let us play the game now?"

Sea Wave cried, "Oh, right! Dumb me, getting so star-struck about two princesses. Go ahead, kid – I mean, your Highness. Take your lucky shot."

She was afraid that the princesses would be displeased if either of them lost, so she ducked behind the curtain and activated the amulet around her neck. When the red crystal glowed, Snow Pea's hoop successfully landed on the neck of one of the bottles.

The young princess cheered, "Woo-hoo! I won, Aunt Sunny! I won!"

Sea Wave emerged from the curtain and said, "Congratulations, little filly! And for that, you deserve a prize!" She then pulled out a dark blue-green box with a yellow question mark on it. "Here you go. One bona-fide mystery box." She then asked Sunset, "How about one for you too, Your Highness?"

Sunset answered humbly, "Oh, well, I'm sure one mystery box is enough."

Snow Pea pleaded, "Please, Aunt Sunny? I want you to have one like I do. I don't want you feeling left out."

Sunset couldn't ignore the glistening puppy eyes Snowy now showed. She sighed and smiled, "All right. Whatever makes you happy, kid." She offered five more bits to Sea Wave, but the vendor refused.

The Earth pony said, "Oh, you don't have to pay twice. Consider this a freebie for the autograph you gave to me. Fire away, princess!"

"Wow, that is so generous of you! Rarity would be so proud. But you don't have to call me 'princess'. You can call me 'Sunset Shimmer' and my niece 'Snow Pea'."

"Of course. Whatever you say." She ducked behind the curtain again and activated her amulet. Like Snow Pea, Sunset got a hoop on one of the bottles.

Snow Pea cheered, "Way to go, Aunt Sunny!"

The vendor then pulled out another mystery box similar to the one Snowy got. She said, "Here you are! Now you both have matching mystery boxes. Isn't that sweet or what?"

Sunset said, "Not as sweet as your generosity. Thank you for a great time."

As the two princesses walked away, Snowy looked back and waved, "Bye!"

Just then, the trumpets sounded. Sunset gasped delightfully, "The tribute to the Crystal Heart is about to begin! Come on, let's go!" Both girls laughed playfully as they ran towards the dais. There, a large crowd of ponies had begun to amass.

Snow Pea grunted, "Aunt Sunny, I can't see!"

Sunset said, "Hang on, kiddo. I've got an idea." She placed the two mystery boxes on top of each other and placed Snowy on top. "There. How's the view up there?"

"Much better! Thanks, Sunny!"

"No problem, Snowy."

On the other side of the dais, Apple Bloom ushered Apple Jewel and Screwball amidst the large crowd. She lifted Jewel onto her head while Screwy just floated up into the air to get a better view.

Apple Jewel remarked, "Lucky."

Princess Cadance then marched up to the Crystal Heart and announced, "Fillies and gentlecolts, thank you all for being here today. It is such a momentous opportunity to gather around the Crystal Heart and see it in pure beauty. I understand that many of you are here to see it for the first time." She winked at her second cousins, who giggled softly. "Today, be strong for kindness, for friendship, for love. Put all the light and goodness within yourselves into the Heart."

Every pony smiled as they thought of happiness and wonder. Within mere moments, the entire floor lit up before that light was absorbed into the Crystal Heart. The magical item then spun around rapidly until it shot a light into the palace. In turn, the castle emitted pink, yellow, and blue rays of light into the sky. The ponies all cheered when they saw the amazing spectacle.

Snow Pea was very glad to see it for the very first time. But suddenly, the warmth that radiated through her when she saw the lights turned a deep freeze. Since she had snow and ice powers, the cold didn't bother her at all, whether it was a cool summer breeze or a cold bath. But this was different. It felt like she just dived headfirst into the coldest sea in the Arctic. She shivered and lied down on the boxes that she stood on.

Sunset noticed this and asked in concern, "Snowy? Are you all right?"

Snowy managed to shiver, "I…I don't…kn-know…I've…n-n-never been this…c-c-cold before…"

Sunset put Snow Pea on her back and said, "Let's get into the palace and get you help."

Something strange also happened to Screwball, but not in a cold sense. A few moments after the castle emitted its radiant lights, her ears were overcome by an unearthly shrieking. It frightened and cut through her at the same time. She could barely concentrate on hovering when she put her hooves to her ears. Apple Bloom and Apple Jewel saw that Screwy was lowering herself, but they were surprised to see a look of torture on her face.

Jewel asked in a scared tone, "Screwy, are you okay?"

Apple Bloom said, "Talk to us, lil' filly!"

But Screwball had curled up on the floor while trying to quiet the strange and scary screaming in her ears. She whimpered, "Please…Make it stop…"

AB turned to Jewel and said, "We need to get her inside!" She then grabbed Screwy and rushed both nieces into the castle.

 ** _Author's Note: Sorry I forgot to mention it sooner, but the name of the song Sunset sings to Snow Pea is "The Cat's Meow" from_ _the Barbie movie_ The Princess and the Pauper.**


	4. Last Day of Sun

Sweetie Belle and Fluttershy anxiously waited outside while the doctor examined their little girls.

Little Button fretted, "Mommy, what's wrong with Snow Pea and Screwball?"

SB answered, "I don't know. I'm sure that whatever it is, the doctor will find it."

Just then, the door opened and the doctor emerged. He said, "Your daughters are going to be fine. To be honest, I don't know what happened to them."

Fluttershy nodded, "Thank you, Doctor Elixir."

When he left, the mothers and LB entered the room. Snow Pea and Screwball both lied in bed fully recovered.

Sweetie Belle asked, "Are you girls okay?"

Snowy replied, "We're okay now."

Screwy added, "Yeah, but that sound sure was scary."

When Little Button tried to leap onto the bed, she barely managed to hang onto the edge. Her face soured into a scowl and she shot off, "I'll say it was scary! You almost gave us a heart attack! What do you have to say for yourself?"

Sweetie Belle calmed her younger daughter and said, "Yes, we were all worried for Snow Pea and Screwball, but let's be thankful they're all right now. Do you want to play with your cousins for a bit?"

LB nodded before she raced out of the room.

Screwy asked, "We're not going tell Daddy about this, are we, Mommy?"

Fluttershy comforted her, "If I know you, you have your father's toughness when it comes to illnesses. You're going to be fine, Screwy. By the time we get home, you'll be the same pony as you were before you left."

Snowy then asked, "But what happened to us? I felt cold and Screwy heard screaming. What does it mean?"

"I don't think it means there's anything wrong with you," a voice said.

All four ponies turned to face Twilight Sparkle, who had just entered to room carrying an open book. She continued, "I think you might've sensed something. It's quite uncommon in ponies, but there are some species that have sharper instincts than others."

Screwy said, "Well, since I am half…whatever my dad is, maybe that's how I was able to detect something."

Snow Pea said, "But wait, I'm only a pony. How can I sense something out of the ordinary?"

Twilight explained, "You got your powers from the Windigos, so maybe that's why you sensed something. And I think I know what that something might've been." She flipped the pages before stopping and holding the book up to the ponies. "The Umbrum, also known as shadow ponies."

The girls gasped at the picture of a shadow pony while their mothers had expressions of shock etched across their faces.

"I only came across this by chance while I was in the library. I was searching for a book that would explain the sensations Screwball and Snow Pea had until this book fell to the floor. I decided to read it before putting it back and found that the girls' symptoms matched what was in this section. It says that the Umbrum have a deep coldness about them that can be felt by those who are sensitive enough to feel it. They also make a loud shrieking noise whenever they're in distress. The Crystal Heart acts as a protective force to keep the Umbrum away and it can hurt them when it's energized. That's why Screwball heard them when the Heart was activated."

Screwy asked, "Am I going to hear them every time I go to the Faire?"

A sweet voice chuckled, "No, I don't think so."

The ponies all turned to face Princess Cadance by the doorway.

She said, "Even ponies who can sense things the most come to the Faire and don't hear or feel the Umbrum."

Snow Pea asked, "Did they go through the same thing we did?"

Cadance nodded, "Yes, but they're all doing well now. Oh, and Twilight, I think there's somepony here to see you." She stepped to the side and an amber pony came into view.

Twilight ran towards her as she cried, "Sun-Sun!"

"Twi-Twi!"

The two mares embraced like old friends who had been apart for years…which they actually were. In fact, they were twins born of Celestia and Sombra. They were the best of pals until Sunset got kidnapped on their first birthday. Starlight Glimmer, vengeful from having her pet phoenix stolen by Sombra to heal his queen, took Sunset as recompense and caused the family to forget about their lost daughter. When Twilight and Sunset met years later, they eventually unearthed the truth and celebrated the older twin's return. However, Sunset made the choice to go exploring with the friends she made at the manor she grew up in.

"Oh, it's so good to see you again! I was wondering if you got my invitation or not."

"Well, I wanted to surprise you. My friends are staying at the hotel down the street, but they insisted that I stay at the castle so I could have quality time with my family."

Screwy cheered, "Yay! We're going to have so much fun together!"

Sunset said, "We will, but I think Cadance wants you to take a tour of the castle with Skyla."

Cadance added, "If you feel like you're up to it."

Screwy said as she jumped out of bed, "Are we ever!"

Snowy turned to her mother and asked, "Do you think we can, Mom?"

Sweetie Belle smiled, "Of course, sweetheart."

Fluttershy turned to her own daughter and asked, "And what do you say, Screwball?"

Screwy knew this meant another lesson in manners, so she softly groaned and asked, "May we please go with Princess Cadance?"

"Yes, you may. Thank you for asking." When the girls left with Cadance, Fluttershy sighed, "She has so much of her father in her."

The Queen of Marendelle agreed, "No doubt about that."

Sunset asked, "So what about this Umbrum business? Is that why Snowy and Screwball felt strange?"

Twilight nodded, "I believe so. Cadance said they weren't the only ones. If this didn't happen until now, then something must be happening."

Fluttershy asked, "Do you think that's why Mother and Father didn't attend the Faire?"

Sunset said, "Aunt Luna didn't, either, and her daughter and granddaughter live here. Something must be wrong."

Twilight said, "I'll write them a letter asking why they didn't attend. I think you have a right to be concerned, Sunset. They must suspect that something is coming and they felt that they needed to prepare."

Sweetie Belle asked, "Prepare for what, exactly?"

The Queen of Canterlot shook her head, "I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be good."

Shortly after Cadance brought Skyla with her and the girls, the tour began. Though it mostly went smoothly, Skyla and Screwball played with each other and didn't hear a word Cadance said. When they got to the library, Screwy and Snowy were amazed.

"And this is the library!" Skyla said. "Pretty big, huh?"

Screwy remarked, "I can see why Aunt Twilight decided to search here."

Snowy gasped, "It's wonderful!"

Cadance chuckled, "I'm glad you think so."

Skyla said, "There's something we want to show you. Come on!"

She led the way until the group got to a stained glass window. It depicted the Crystal Heart with a very pale vermillion unicorn princess on top of it and a unicorn princess of grayish heliotrope below it.

Cadance nodded, "Yes, Skyla. These were the princesses who ruled the Crystal Empire before your father and I did."

Snowy asked, "Who were they?"

Cadance said, "The one above the Heart is Princess Amore and the other one is her daughter, Radiant Hope. Princess Amore was a wise, kind, and gentle ruler. Radiant Hope was sweet, caring, and a gifted healer. The Crystal Empire flourished under mother and daughter."

"What happened to them?" Screwy asked.

Cadance sighed, "Radiant Hope was about to have her coronation until…the Umbrum came. They were led by their princess, Belladonna. Nopony knows where she came from or even how she came to be, but they say she was more evil than any Umbrum before her. When Celestia and Sombra found out what she had done to the Empire, they defeated her and banished her to the Arctic Wastes. They wanted to make Amore ruler again, but she was so grief-stricken by her daughter's disappearance that she died. Afterwards, they turned the Empire over to my mother, Princess Luna, so she would protect it until the right ponies came along."

"That was you and Daddy! Right, Mommy?" Skyla pointed out.

Cadance chuckled, "Yes, that was us."

Years ago, Princess Luna longed to have a child, so she went to a gargoyle named Scorpan, who gave her a flower that would fulfill her heart's desire. That flower then became her daughter, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Tirek, who wanted the flower for his own gain, was outraged that his brother gave it away. After many years of searching, he changed Cadance into a Breezie and placed a curse of misfortune on the royal family. To protect her daughter, Luna sent her to live with the Breezies until Cadance returned. After being reunited with Shining Armor, her childhood sweetheart, their love for each other broke Cadance's curse.

Snowy asked, "What do you think happened to Radiant Hope?"

Cadance answered, "Nopony knows for certain. Some think she might've run off, others think she might've been transformed into something. It was so long ago that ponies are starting to wonder if she's even alive right now."

Screwy asked, "But if she's ever found, what will happen to you and Uncle Shiny?"

The pink alicorn replied, "I don't know. We'll see if that's ever the case."

Shortly after the tour, Snow Pea met up with Sunset in one of the guest rooms.

Sunset greeted, "Hey, kiddo! How was the tour?"

Snowy answered, "It was great! We got to see all of the castle and learned a bit about who ruled the Crystal Empire before Cadance and Shining Armor."

"Oh, really? Do you remember who?"

"Princess Amore and her daughter, Radiant Hope. They ruled the Empire before the Umbrum attacked. Luckily, Grandma Tia and Grandpapa saved the Crystal ponies by banishing the Umbrum princess, Belladonna. But here's the sad part: Radiant Hope vanished and her mom died because she missed her daughter so much. When Amore died, Grandma Tia and Grandpapa decided to let Luna watch over the Empire until the rightful rulers were found. Luckily, they were Cadance and Shining Armor."

"Wow, that's quite a story."

"I know. I think Radiant Hope might still be out there, though. Maybe she's still alive or maybe she got transformed into something."

"Well, I wouldn't start searching until we've got a clue of some sort. In the meantime, why don't we open our mystery boxes? I'm sure you're dying to know what's in them."

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!"

The two girls each opened their box and Sunset pulled out a tiara while Snow Pea pulled out four bracelets. The tiara had five spikes, a copperish hue, and three bright rubies – one in the front and the other two each below a dip between tines. The bracelets were green sandwiched with gold lining and had small steel squares encrusted on the green strip.

Snowy cried, "Whoa! These things are big!" She grunted as she tried to lift one, "And heavy."

Sunset grabbed for the bracelets and said, "Oh, careful! I think those are going to be too big for you. Here, try the tiara instead. It looks to be the right size for you."

The girls switched jewelry and put them on in front of the mirror.

Sunset said, "There! Now we look like princesses!"

Snowy giggled, "Aunt Sunny, we already are!"

Suddenly, they both got a tightening feeling from their jewelry. The girls both cried, "Ow!"

Sunset suggested, "Let's take them off before their weight topples us over." But as they tried to take them off, the pieces of jewelry wouldn't budge.

Snowy whimpered, "It's not coming off, Aunt Sunny!"

"Don't worry, kiddo. We can get Aunt Twilight to help us." Despite her calm voice, however, she grew concerned about this.

Twilight grunted as a light brilliant raspberry aura surrounded the tiara and bracelets. She tried very hard to loosen the grip the jewelry had on her sister and niece, but to no avail. When her magic aura died down, she panted, "I'm sorry. This is very powerful magic the tiara and bracelets have. They were possibly enchanted or even made by somepony more powerful than me."

Sunset asked, "Did you send that letter yet? If you haven't, write for Mom or Aunt Luna's help."

Just then, Apple Bloom burst into the room with a look of worry on her face. She asked frantically, "Have any of ya seen Pip?!" When the girls shook their heads, she moaned, "Oh, I was afraid of this. The kids looked for Pip for about an hour before they came to me. They said that the tent where they saw him last had disappeared shortly after they left."

Twilight asked, "Did they know whose tent it was?"

"They said it belonged to a pony named Golden Mist. They described her as a bright yellow unicorn with an orange mane and a red crystal pendant."

Sunset's eyes shrunk at the description and immediately asked AB, "Do they know what the pendant looked like?"

AB pulled out a piece of paper and said, "They drew out Golden Mist so we would have a better picture."

The minute Twilight and Sunset both looked at the drawing, their eyes shrunk and their ears dropped. They both said, "Oh, no."

Twilight immediately rushed over to the bookshelves to search for something.

AB asked, "What? Is there something wrong?"

Sunset shook her head, "I don't think Golden Mist is a real pony."

Twilight then pulled out the book she was looking for and said, "Nopony in their right mind would wear a red crystal pendant in that shape, not if they want to be mistaken for…" She then laid down the open book to reveal the pages with aquatic horses on them.

"Sirens!" all three said simultaneously.

Guards had been sent out to search the entire kingdom for Golden Mist, Pip, or both – if they were lucky. At the darkest time of night, a pale, light grayish fuchsia Pegasus dodged every sentry and guard patrolling the streets and slipped her way to the dais. She cursed the fact that she had to wear a burlap cloak that impeded her from spreading her wings. However, she was told to wear it for stealth for her mission. She crept close to the Crystal Heart, pulled out the burlap bag, and quickly stashed the Heart inside. Soon after she did her job, she ran towards the snowy mountains of the Frozen North.

When she was a safe distance from the Crystal Empire, she pulled back her hood and her moderate purple pigtails with light brilliant aquamarine streaks spilled out. Her moderate mulberry eyes scanned the snow while she continued forward. After a minute or two, she gasped when she saw a reddish light behind a snowy hill. She raced forward and found that her accomplice was using her amulet to keep herself warm.

She growled, "Sonata, you're going to give us away!"

Sonata argued, "But I was _freezing!_ I don't want to be a popsicle in _this_ form!"

"Keep your voices down or we're _all_ going to get caught!"

Sonata and the Pegasus turned to the voice and saw a pale green apple unicorn walking up to them.

The Pegasus retorted, "Why did you have to go and kidnap that prince?! There were so many guards that I almost got caught stealing the Crystal Heart!"

Sonata chirped, "Ooh! Ooh! Can I see the Crystal Heart?"

The unicorn said, "Not right now! We need to keep this in the bag until we get to the Umbrum world and the princess finishes her mission. Without the Crystal Heart to spread love and goodness across Equestria, she'll be free to exact her revenge."

In Canterlot, Luna stood at Sombra's bedside as he asked, "Are you certain this will work?"

Luna nodded, "I have done this with seers and respected wizards. This time should be no different."

"Still, I cannot help but feel that the events I have dreamed about are already coming to pass."

"Fear not, for if there is a way to nip this in the bud, so we shall."

As soon as Sombra closed his eyes, Luna's horn activated and a string of white light streamed from her horn to his forehead. Her dream self soon arrived in the dream and found Sombra's dream self in a flowering field.

Sombra looked around and said, "I…I remember this place. Yes, this is where…"

 _"…_ _ALL OF THE MEMORIES WILL COME BACK TO HAUNT YOU?!"_ a distorted voice echoed.

When an eerie and dark laughter broke out, dark crystals sprouted in the field and turned everything into a dry desert. Luna and Sombra lit their horns to form a force field around them.

 _"_ _HOW PETTY…"_ the voice continued. _"YOU MAY HAVE INCREDIBLE POWER OVER DREAMS, PRINCESS LUNA, BUT I BELIEVE THAT I HAVE THE UPPER HOOF."_

Suddenly, dark crystals shot from the ground beneath Sombra and trapped him in a dome. Before Luna could react, the dome took him underground within a second.

"Sombra!" Luna cried as she saw a bump in the ground move away from her.

Just then, the bump stopped and began to swell. Within moments, the boil in the ground erupted and cast Sombra into the air. Before Luna tried to rescue him, he was levitated by a purple aura.

The sinister laughter echoed again and this time, a shadowy mass appeared. The eyes were very much like Sombra's when he was cursed, only the irises were light brilliant green with vivid purple sclera and had brilliant scarlet mist trailing from them. The eyes also had luminous vivid vermilion eye shadow on the lids and the tips of the double-pointed eyelashes.

 _"_ _OH, SOMBRA…"_ the mass said in faux sweet tone, _"…IT'S BEEN FAR TOO LONG. I HOPE YOU HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ME."_

Sombra grunted, "I know who you are. I could never forget what evil you had wrought upon the Crystal Empire. I lost my dear friends because of you."

 _"_ _YES, IT IS TRAGIC,"_ the shadow said. _"RADIANT HOPE WAS SUCH A DEAR. FORTUNATELY, SHE WAS COOPERATIVE. HER MOTHER, HOWEVER, WAS NOT. NATURALLY, I HAD TO GET RID OF HER…AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO SO THAN TO DISPOSE OF HER..."_ Her voice then echoed ominously, _"…PERMANENTLY?!"_

Luna's anger raged inside of her and she shouted in her Royal Canterlot Voice, **_"TIS BUT A LIE! AMORE WAS ALIVE WHEN SHE WAS FOUND IN THE DUNGEON AFTER THOU WAS BANISHED!"_**

The eyes of the shadow rose intriguingly as she said, " _OH? DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT? YOU WEREN'T THERE. YOUR BIG SISTER AND HER LOVER-COLT FOUGHT ME WHILE YOU WERE STUCK BACK HOME WITH YOUR ROYAL DUTIES."_

Luna snarled, **_"THOU SHALT NOT SPEAK ILL OF THY SISTER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW!"_**

The shadow asked in a mocking tone, " _ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF? DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME, PRINCESS. I KNOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH. REJECTED, LEFT BEHIND…FORGOTTEN."_

This was enough to make Luna blast at the shadow, but the foe easily dodged it as if it was nothing more than a spray of water.

She said, _"OOH…SUCH STRENGTH, SUCH POWER…I COULD USE A PONY LIKE YOU."_

Luna retorted, **_"WE WILL NEVER JOIN THOU! THOU ART EVIL, AND WE WILL DO WHAT IS RIGHT! WE WILL ALWAYS FIGHT FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS AND GOODNESS!"_**

The shadow sighed, _"SUCH A PITY…AND HERE I THOUGHT YOU'D JOIN ME. WELL, I SUPPOSE I'LL HAVE SOMBRA TERMINATED!"_ As soon as she said that, the purple aura started squeezing the life out of Sombra.

Luna gasped and cried in her regular voice, "No! Stop! I'll do…I'll do whatever you say. Please spare my sister's love. Take me."

Sombra shouted, "Luna, no! It's a dream! I'll be all right!"

The shadow chuckled evilly and said to him, _"DIDN'T ANYPONY TELL YOU? THIS DREAM PUTS YOUR LIFE AT MY HOOVES! I CAN CONTROL WHETHER YOU LIVE…OR PERISH."_

Luna then pleaded one more time, "Please, I beg of you. Do not hurt Sombra."

The shadow contemplated this and said, _"HMMM…IT WOULD BE A PLEASURE TO JUST DISPOSE OF HIM RIGHT NOW AND LET HIS LOVED ONES SUFFER. BUT I'VE GIVEN UP ON REVENGE LONG AGO. THE ONLY THING THAT I TRULY DESIRE NOW IS POWER…"_ She looked at Luna, _"…AND YOU'RE GOING TO HELP ME."_

The mass then lunged at Luna as Sombra shouted, "No! Luna! Don't do this! LUNA!"

He woke with a start and looked around to see that Luna had vanished completely.

"It's going to feel weird sleeping with a tiara on my head," Snow Pea told her mother as the latter was tucking her child in.

Her mom then suggested, "Well, if you sleep on only one side, you'll barely feel it when you doze off."

Little Button pouted, "You're lucky to even _have_ a tiara on your head."

Snowy retorted, "Hey, it's no fun when it's _stuck_ there!"

Sweetie Belle calmed her daughters, "All right, you two. How about we call Daddy before you go to sleep?"

Her daughters cheered as the Queen of Marendelle pulled out a small mirror from the trunk. She said into it, "Button? Are you awake? Hello?"

Sweetie's reflection rippled before seeing Button's face in place of hers.

He said, "Hiya, gorgeous! Thank goodness you called me so I could take a break."

"Uh-oh. Paperwork overload again?"

He chuckled, "Loads."

"Anyway, the girls want to talk to you before they go to sleep. Here they are." She placed the mirror on the vanity so that Button could see his girls in the same space.

The young fillies both waved and said, "Hi, Daddy!"

Button smiled, "Hey, girls! Did you have any fun at the Crystal Faire?"

Little Button jumped up and down as she said, "Lots and lots of fun!"

Snow Pea said, "Too bad you couldn't come with us."

Button chuckled, "It's okay. I went to my first Crystal Faire with your mother before I became king. Of course, this was when Snow Pea was with us."

LB said, "Wait, I thought you said this was our first Faire!"

"Well, it kind of is because when your mother and I went, she was pregnant with Snow Pea."

"Oh. That makes sense."

"Hey, Snowy, that's a nice tiara you have there. Where'd you get it?"

Snowy answered, "From a pony who gave Aunt Sunny and me mystery boxes."

"Aunt Sunset was there? Boy, I'm missing out on a lot of stuff!" He then sighed playfully, "Makes me wish I was a colt again."

Sweetie Belle smirked, "Oh, so you can run around the palace again and play by the seashores?"

He chuckled, "I do that with the girls all the time." He then asked his daughters, "Don't we?"

The girls agreed with him before Snowy asked, "Dad, do you have a spell book or something?"

Button was genuinely confused and asked, "Why do you need it?"

"Because…the tiara's stuck on my head."

This surprised Button as Sweetie explained, "She and Sunset were trying on the jewelry they got from their mystery boxes and now the tiara's stuck on Snowy and the bracelets are on Sunset."

Button asked, "Well, who was the pony who gave you and Sunset those boxes?"

Snowy explained, "She had a blue coat, reddish-pink eyes, and a blue mane with streaks…Oh! And she was wearing a red pendant on her neck."

Now it was Sweetie's turn to be surprised. Immediately, she asked, "Was it a crystal and what shape was it?"

"Yes, and the shape of it was…"

Just as she was trying to explain the shape, the center ruby of the tiara projected a hologram of the pendant the vendor was wearing. All four members of the Marendelle royal family were shocked by this development.

Snowy regained her senses and pointed to the hologram as she said, "Yeah, like that!"

Button exclaimed, "This is incredible, Snow Pea! I'm going to search the books for information about the tiara now!"

Sweetie asked, "But what about your paperwork?"

"I'm the king. I'm making _this_ my main priority because this is powerful magic. We can't let it fall into the wrong hooves. Keep Snow Pea safe until I can catch the next boat to the mainland. See you when I get there!" Just like that, his face rippled out of view until it was replaced by the reflection of the three girls in the room.

Sweetie Belle knew what this meant. Just after the guards had been sent out to find either Golden Mist or Pip, she was told about how the "fortune-teller" might've been a siren all this time. When she saw the hologram of the pendant that belonged to the pony who gave her daughter and Sunset the jewelry, she started to suspect that this vendor, too, was a siren. Button had a right to make this his top priority. Yet, she was confused, for why did the possible-siren give her daughter and older sister items of great power?

After her daughters went to sleep, Sweetie Belle met with the rest of the grown-ups in the conference room. She asked when she saw Apple Bloom's discouraged face, "No luck finding Pip?"

AB spread her arms and exclaimed, "We couldn't find him anywhere! Why'd he have to go that siren gypsy in the first place?" She sighed as Applejack and Scootaloo put their hooves on her shoulders.

Applejack told her, "I know this can be tough for ya, but do ya trust that Pip's gonna be all right?"

Apple Bloom looked at her sister with glistening eyes and she whispered, "Yes. I just want him to be safe and sound, that's all."

Fluttershy said, "We all want that for our loved ones, too. I often wonder if Discord's okay under Zecora's care. I worry about Screwball, too."

Shining Armor added, "I think it's safe to say that we can all get worried about our family and friends, especially our children. I went through that with Cadance." He placed a hoof on hers and she looked at him lovingly.

Twilight said, "You're not alone. Even with a nation to run, I always put my family first."

Sunset wrapped her hoof on Twilight and said, "So do I. As do we all." The rest of the family agreed.

Suddenly, a blue-green mist crept into the room. A faint, ethereal singing could be heard as the smoke filled the entire room.

Pinkie was the first to sway under its spell. She said drowsily, "Oh, boy. I'm getting sleepy all over. Sleepy in my head, sleepy in my eyes, sleepy…*yawns*…in my…legs…"

She collapsed onto the floor and Cheese followed suit, saying, "I think I need a pillow." His eyesight was getting blurry from the tiredness, so he prodded Pinkie's body, mistaking it for a pillow. He sighed tiredly, "Ah…There's one. Night-night." He then placed himself on Pinkie's body and slept on her.

While the rest of the ponies in the room collapsed, Sunset miraculously was the only one wide awake.

She said, "What…What's going on? Hello? Anypony? It's the mist! It's making you fall asleep! You have to get up!"

But this was to no avail and she looked out the window to see the blue-green mist blanketing the Crystal Empire and making its way beyond. It eventually brought all of Equestria under its deep, dark curse.

 ** _AN: The next chapter is a "big-bang" one! By "big-bang", I mean really important and really shocking. Stay tuned! ;)_**


	5. Cover of Darkness

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy, wake up!"

Water then splashed over Discord's face and he sputtered awake. He exclaimed, "What are you trying to do?! Drown me?!" He looked around the room and saw his sweet Screwball on his right. He smiled, "Screwy! You're back so soon? Huh. Thought the Faire lasted longer the last time."

When Discord saw the expression of urgency on Screwy's face, he knew it couldn't be good.

She said, "Dad, we have a major problem! The sun's not out!"

He scoffed, "Of course it wouldn't be. It's not dawn yet. Now go back to sleep until morning." He turned to the left and pulled the blankets up. When Screwball tore the blankets away from the bed, he cried, "Hey! Do you want to give your old pop pony-monia?!"

Screwy said, "Daddy, you're not sick anymore."

He looked at himself and saw that he had his normal coloring again. "Huh," he said. "I suppose Zecora's remedies _do_ work after all. A little bit of rest will chase the sickness away. Now let's keep that up by going to bed, shall we?"

His daughter groaned before she said, "Dad, look at the time." She conjured up a wristwatch and to Discord's surprise, it said 7 o'clock…AM!

He took her hoof and inspected the watch as he said, "What? That can't be right!"

Screwy said, "Dad, I checked the animals in Mom's garden. The rooster never crowed."

This time, Discord was truly in shock. He managed to sputter, "But – But – But Ol' Henpeck usually crows when it's dawn! It _couldn't_ still be night!" He went to the curtains and parted them. There was only the moon and the stars in the sky. He whispered, "Oh, my…" Then he shouted, "Your grandma had one job – one job – and she blew it!" He scoffed, "I think retiring from ruling Equestria softened her brain."

Screwy suggested, "But what if something happened to her?"

Discord rubbed his goatee, "Hmmm…You're right. Celestia would never royally mess up like this…unless something _did_ happen to her."

"Like with everypony?"

"Everypony?"

"They won't wake up. I think they're dead."

Discord's heart stopped at the thought and he shouted out, "DEAD?!"

Quickly, he grabbed Screwball and whisked the both of them to the Crystal Empire. They flashed before the doors to the conference room and slammed them open. The whole room was dark, so Discord snapped his fingers and ignited the lights. Most of the royals were lying on the floor as still as stone. Discord directed his attention to Fluttershy, whose face was radiated by the moonlight outside the window she was near.

He picked her up and pleaded desperately, "Flutters?! Flutters?! FLUTTERS! Please wake up! PLEASE!" But when his pleas fell on deaf ears, tears began to spill on his face and land on Fluttershy's beloved features. He sobbed, "Oh, no…No…"

He dug his face into her beautiful coat as he mourned the loss of his wife. It was the first time Screwball had ever seen her dad cry, and it broke her heart.

A tear or two had left her eyes when a strange voice said, "They're not dead."

Both father and daughter looked around in surprise as Screwy asked, "Huh? Was that a ghost?"

"I'm on it!" In an instant, he flashed into Ghostbuster attire and held a big ray gun in his claw. He and Screwy slowly walked out in the hall as he whispered, "Where are you, ghostie? Come out, come out wherever you are."

"I'm right here!" the voice shouted.

Discord yelped and aimed the ray gun at the mirror.

The voice said, "Easy, easy! It's me, Pip!"

Screwball and her father looked at the mirror in shock as they both said, "Pip?"

Indeed, it was Pip. They recognized his humble yet strong features anywhere.

Screwy asked, "Uncle Pip? Is that you? Are you…?"

Pip answered, "No, I'm not dead! A siren trapped me in the mirror realm just after the children left."

Just then, the doors opened and they revealed Sunset Shimmer, Spike, Snow Pea, and Apple Jewel.

The fillies cried as they ran to Screwball, "Screwy!"

They all embraced each other as Apple Jewel said, "We thought you were kidnapped!"

Screwy said, "Well, I thought you guys were dead!"

Sunset chuckled as she ruffled Screwy's mane, "We're sorry we scared you there, Screwy. We didn't know where you went."

Discord scoffed, " _She_ was scared?! _I_ was terrified to bits when I saw Fluttershy and the others on the floor! Can anypony tell me what's going on?!"

Sunset explained, "There's a sleeping curse that's affected the Crystal Empire and possibly all of Equestria."

Spike shrugged, "But we still don't know why only the moon's out."

Pip spoke, "I do."

Discord said, "Huh. I guess you are quite useful as a magic mirror. Well then…" He cleared his throat before continuing, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, what is going on at all?!"

Pip looked to the side in unease and slowly asked, "Are you sure you want to know the truth? It may be a bit hard to swallow."

Sunset said, "There's something more to this, isn't there?"

Discord crossed his arms and asked in a low tone, "What aren't you telling us, Pip?" When Pip didn't answer, Discord grew more insistent. "Pip? Pip!" Then he shouted, "Show us, Pip!"

The tone in her father's voice made Screwball jump. She knew then never to cross her father like that.

At Discord's demand, Pip reluctantly stepped back and let the mirror ripple before showing the group the scene that had happened hours earlier.

An ominous castle came into view and three ponies were walking in the strange environment. The Pegasus had a bag around her neck while the unicorn had a pack over her body.

The blue Earth pony put a hoof to her head and remarked, "Boy, all these smoke effects are making me dizzy!"

An ominous voice warned, _"I wouldn't speak ill of the décor if I were you…"_

The three ponies turned to see a shadowy mass appear before them. The first to appear from the smoke was Princess Luna, who was unhappy to be taken captive. Then, the shadow formed itself into an intimidating unicorn princess. Her coat was as very dark gray as her soul and her smoky mane covered her hindquarters like a skirt. It was difficult to tell where the mane ended and where the tail began. Her silver shoes had a design that matched the symbol of the Umbrum, and her neckpiece was V-shaped in the middle with two black pearls surrounded by red zigzags. Her crown was silver with two spikes on either side and a diamond-shaped decoration in the middle that was flanked by a curve on either side. Finally, she had fangs and a long, red horn that was curved.

The unicorn exclaimed as she and the two other ponies bowed down, "Princess Belladonna! Your Highness! We have retrieved the items you requested."

The Earth pony gasped, "You brought a princess! Or is it the other way around?" The Pegasus jabbed her accomplice in the arm and the blue pony cried out, "Ow!"

Belladonna gestured to Luna and said, "She had agreed to be taken…with some incentive."

Luna scowled, "As long as you leave my family be, I will do as you say."

"Then I will ask you to stand still."

"What?"

In a moment, Belladonna aimed dark rays at Luna, who struggled and writhed as she was enclosed in a dark sphere. After several seconds, a new form emerged from the darkness. Her mane was now a brilliant phthalo blue, her coat now a very dark cornflower blue, and her eyes now catlike. Her sinister laughter sent chills up the spines of the three ponies.

Belladonna asked, "So do you like your new look, Princess Luna?"

The newly-transformed princess replied, "I am no longer Luna. I am Nightmare Moon."

The Umbrum princess smiled maliciously, "I was hoping you would say that. Since I will be keeping our deal, what do you suggest we do with the citizens of Equestria?"

Nightmare Moon pondered as she said, "My sister and niece will be too powerful to defeat. We will have to put them and all other ponies under a sleeping curse. This will leave only the other species under our rule. But it will be a difficult spell to cast."

"If you're looking to enhance the curse, look no further than these three." She turned to the ponies and said, "Ladies."

The three ponies smiled evilly and then sang, " _Laaaaa…"_

Their pendants glowed and enveloped their owners in a red light. When the glow died down, the ponies were back to their original forms as sirens.

The yellow siren sighed, "It is good to be back in this body."

The purple siren agreed, "Yeah. I hated being a pony."

Belladonna gestured towards the sirens, "Nightmare Moon, may I present Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk." She said to the sirens, "Girls, go outside with Nightmare Moon and help her amplify her sleeping curse."

The image in the mirror dissolved and was replaced by an image of Nightmare Moon and the sirens on the peak of a snowy hill.

"All right, Your Grace," Adagio Dazzle said, "sing."

The sirens began to circle Nightmare Moon as the three vocalized. When their pendants were glowing, Nightmare Moon activated her horn and began to sing, " _Trust in me…just in me…Shut your eyes…and trust in me…"_

The rays of NMM's magic touched the pendants and created a blue-green mist.

Adagio then sang, _"You can sleep…"_

Sonata sang, _"…safe and sound…"_

Aria sang, _"…knowing we…"_

Then all three sang, _"…are around…"_

By then, the mist had begun to spread and crept beyond the Frozen North.

Aria, _"Slip into silent slumber…"_

Sonata, _"Sail on a silver mist…"_

Adagio, _"Slowly and surely your senses will cease to resist…"_

Nightmare Moon then sang again, _"Trust in me…and just in me…Shut your eyes and trust in me…"_

The image then faded and a remorseful Pip reappeared in the mirror. The group of royals was shocked by the events that were replayed before them.

Discord had his mouth covered before he put down his hands to breathlessly whisper, "Lulu…"

Snow Pea shook her head and uttered, "No…No…"

Spike asked Pip, "Is there any way to break the spell?"

Pip only sighed, "Unfortunately, I don't know."

Suddenly, Screwball began feeling drowsy. She said, "Daddy…I'm starting to get tired…"

Sunset gasped, "She and Apple Jewel are half-ponies! They're not completely immune to the sleeping curse!"

Snow Pea asked, "But how come _we're_ immune, Aunt Sunny?"

"I think it's the jewelry. They might be protecting us from the curse."

"That's pretty powerful magic like Aunt Twilight said."

Discord scooped Screwball up and said, "When we get back to Everfree Castle, I want to know what you girls are talking about."

Apple Jewel yawned, "Wasn't Zecora baby-sitting you before…the curse happened?"

"Well, I wouldn't know about 'baby-sitting', but…" Suddenly, an idea flashed in his head. "Zecora! That's it! She'll be able to help us!"

He snapped his claw and teleported the group and the dozing Canterlot Royals to Everfree Castle. The group all landed in a big pile at the castle.

Spike grunted, "Don't suffocate us before we find a way to break the curse!"

As soon as the sleeping royals were laid in peaceful positions, Discord called out, "Zecora! Zecora, we need you!"

The royals who were awake went to Fluttershy and Discord's apartment and opened the door to find Zecora sleeping on the couch.

Snow Pea ran to her and pleaded, "Zecora! Zecora, wake up!"

Spike said, "Oh, no. She must not be completely immune to the sleeping curse either!"

Discord held up a paw and said, "I'll handle this." He went over to Zecora and blew a horn at her.

Almost instantly, her head shot up and her weary eyes opened in surprise. She said, "Huh? Wha…? I was only getting my beauty sleep. Why did you wake me from slumber so deep?"

Sunset walked up to her and said, "Zecora, I know we've never met, but I'm Sunset Shimmer, Twilight's twin sister."

The zebra exclaimed, "Oh, yes, yes! I'm glad your return was a success." She put a hoof to her head and groaned, "I'm sorry. Something must be wrong with me. Either I'm getting ill or I'm under a strong spell."

"There's a sleeping spell that's affected all of the ponies and half-ponies in Equestria."

Snow Pea asked, "But you're a zebra. How can you be part pony?"

Zecora answered, "I am an equine, this is true. I can get pony pox or the flu. But since I am from somewhere far away, I am not like other ponies in most ways." She sighed wearily and then continued, "All this talk is making me weary. The spell is making my eyes bleary. Go to my hut and find the recipe that will benefit the girls and me."

Spike said, "I'll go!" But just as he turned to leave, he stopped and faced Zecora again. He asked, "Uh…just what kind of recipe is it?"

"Something that you must make certain will lift the tiring curtain. It is a potion that can boost one's energy without having need for roost."

Discord held a small translation device while mumbling to himself. When the device dinged, he exclaimed, "Ah! She's saying that there's a magic potion that can ward off the effects of the sleeping spell."

Spike said, "Gotcha! Be right back!"

As the royals and Zecora decided to have breakfast, the wise zebra, Screwball, and Apple Jewel dozed off for a few moments.

When Spike came back with the ingredients, he had a look of concern on his face. He said, "Uh, guys? There's a weird shadow on the moon."

The royals opened the curtain and saw a small triangular shadow at the bottom of the moon. The shadow's base was curved to match the curve of the moon's bottom. If that wasn't enough, the night sky became a little darker.

Zecora said in a tired voice, "It is important, this I know. But this spell is tiring me so."

Sunset said to Spike, "Here, I'll help you make the potion."

After they brewed the potion, they poured three cups – one for Zecora, one for Screwball, and one for Apple Jewel.

Screwy exclaimed, "Wowee! I feel better already!"

Apple Jewel said, "Yeah! I feel like I can bounce off of walls!"

Zecora smiled, "Thank for the potion you brewed. Our energy has been renewed."

Discord said, "Right, right, right. Now about the shadow on the moon?"

Zecora said, "First tell me everything there is, then I'll be certain about what is amiss."

And so the royals told Zecora everything that happened, including summoning Pip in the mirror as proof.

She put a hoof to her chin and said, "Hmmm…It seems to me like a prophecy long foretold. It is one that's in every Umbrum tale of old."

Sunset asked, "What kind of prophecy?"

"An ancient promise made by those dark creatures. It was foreseen long before they were captured. They tried to fulfill it with their invasion, but they were banished to a place of aversion."

"Wait. I read about that. The Umbrum invaded the Crystal Empire decades before, but many years ago, a pony of dark magic revived them and took over the kingdom. When my parents stopped her, they trapped her in a dark crystal in the Arctic Wastes."

Discord grumbled, "Oh, great. Now you're sounding like Twilight."

"Well, I _am_ her twin."

"No kidding."

Zecora said, "Yes, yes, you are correct on the tale, but a crystal like that is where they hail. The prophecy of their rule still existed, so again and again they persisted. Now it seems all is coming to pass, and the Umbrum will be free at last."

Spike asked while chewing his gems, "But we can still stop them, right?"

"It is possible, but difficult. You must find their one and only fault. Unfortunately, that won't be simple. I'm afraid your journey will be uphill."

Snow Pea asked, "But what about the jewelry Aunt Sunny and I are wearing? Dad and Aunt Twilight both said that the tiara and bracelets have powerful magic."

Zecora inspected both the tiara and the bracelets and said, "What you wear is powerful jewelry. Make sure to use their magic carefully."

Apple Jewel asked, "But do you know anything more about them?"

"The answer lies within something of lore: a forbidden book you have used before."

Discord gawked, "Wait. You can't seriously mean…?!"

She nodded, "The Ancient Book of Secrets will help you through if the sun's rays are to flood the land anew. For as long as the moon is in the sky, the shadow will creep up as time goes by. That shadow is the emblem of the dark and cruel Umbrum. If the days still had the sun _and_ the moon, the shadow will be in full view two nights soon. As the moon grows darker by the hour, your journey will be even more dour. I suggest you hurry and soon before the shadow covers the moon."

There was an ominous pause until Spike spoke, "Well, on that cheerful note, shouldn't we get everypony to bed?" At that moment, they heard snoring coming from the main hall.

"I'll take care of that," Discord said before he snapped his talon. In a flash, his wife was in his arms and Applejack was in Spike's arms.

Sunset said, "Um…What did you do with…?"

"Relax, your twin and the rest of your sisters are with their families in their own rooms. Go see for yourselves."

Sunset took Snow Pea out of the room and Spike and Apple Jewel followed behind.

Discord turned to his daughter and suggested, "Screwy, how about you help me tuck Mommy in?"

Screwball smiled, "Sure, Daddy!"

Discord gently laid his wife in the bed they shared during twelve years of marriage. He ended up staring at her beautiful face. Using her magic, Screwball drew the covers on her mother and sadly looked up to her father.

"Daddy…will Mommy be okay?"

"Of course she will! You know your mother is one tough cookie!"

"But how come you thought she was dead when you first saw her like this?"

"Um…Uh…" he stammered before he quickly changed the subject. "Uh, here! Let's redecorate the room while she's asleep!" He started snapping away.

Meanwhile, Spike had laid his wife in their own bed with his daughter looking on in worry. She whispered, "Mommy…"

Spike reassured her, "Mommy's going to be okay. I promise." But he knew that was easier said than done. However, he had to keep a brave face for his daughter. He looked back at Applejack's peaceful face and knew that was what his wife would've done if their positions were reversed. He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead with a tear in his eye. He whispered, "I love you…"

Sunset and Snow Pea had checked rooms and found their family members asleep with their intimate families in the same bed. Twilight, Flash, and their children slept together and so did Rarity, Fancy, and their children. Pip appeared in a mirror that was in the room where his family was. He put a hoof against the surface that separated him from the world while trying to fight back tears. It was the same for all the royals as they found Sweetie Belle and Little Button together. Snow Pea stared at them and was on the verge of tears. Sunset had to wrap her hoof around her in comfort.

Snow Pea asked, "What happens to me if they don't wake up?"

"That won't happen."

"But what if it is?" she asked once more as she gave off big, round, sad eyes.

Sunset vowed, "Then I will take care of you. That I swear."

"But couldn't we just use the tiara and bracelets to undo the spell?"

"We don't even know what they do yet until we read the book."

Screwball looked around the room in wonder. There were flowering vines decorating the room and almost all within it. There were also stars that shined on Fluttershy and brought a certain glow to her beauty. She then looked at her father and could see he was deeply in pain of having his wife in this condition.

Discord whispered, "I'm sorry, Fluttershy. Had I been there with you and Screwy, I could have helped prevent this from happening…"

"It's not you fault, Daddy…"

He sighed, "I know…" He then summoned a single rose and carefully placed it between his wife's arms, which were crossed at the wrists, and her body.

Back in the Umbrum world, Sonata Dusk grunted as she pulled two crates into the castle.

Aria growled, "Come on, Sonata! The princesses don't have all day!"

As soon as Sonata stopped, she collapsed to the floor and panted heavily. She gasped, "You…try…pulling…two huge crates…at once!"

 _WHOOSH!_

The sirens turned to see Belladonna and Nightmare Moon coming from the shadow.

Belladonna snarled, "We care not about your whining, Sonata. All we care about is the jewelry."

Sonata nervously chuckled as she rose from the ground, "Right. I'll get them out." She opened a crate and pulled out a crystal ball. "A crystal ball?" she said.

Adagio snapped, "That's _my_ crate, Sonata!"

She smiled awkwardly, "Oopsie! My bad." She opened the next crate and dug into it. Growing impatient, Nightmare Moon used her magic to tip the crate on its side. Sonata timidly said, "They're supposed to be in the boxes with the question marks." NMM then sorted through the crate and levitated the mystery boxes. She opened every box, but all that came out were packing peanuts.

Nightmare Moon demanded as her eyes glowed white, " _WHERE IS THE JEWELRY?!"_

Aria rebuked, "Sonata, don't tell me you lost them!"

Sonata answered uneasily, "I didn't so much as lose them as…give them to some ponies."

NMM shouted, " _WHO?!_ "

"I couldn't help it! They were two princesses! I had to let them win!"

Belladonna asked, "What were their names?"

Sonata gulped, "Princess…Sunset Shimmer and…Snow Pea."

Nightmare Moon turned to Belladonna and said, "Sunset Shimmer is the twin of Twilight Sparkle and Snow Pea is the heir to the throne of Marendelle."

Adagio smirked as she pulled out a hoofheld mirror, "And I know just the colt to call…" She singsonged into the mirror, "Oh, Prince Pip!"

Within a moment, the surface of the mirror began to ripple. After a few seconds, Pip came into view. Nightmare Moon and Belladonna were surprised at this.

The prince said in an unenthusiastic tone, "You summoned me?"

Adagio turned the mirror so that he could face the princesses and said, "Princesses, may I introduce Prince Pip."

Nightmare Moon remarked, "You trapped a prince in a mirror?"

Belladonna smirked wickedly and said as she walked towards the siren, "Yes…I believe we can use this to our advantage." She commanded Pip, "Colt! Show me Princesses Sunset Shimmer and Snow Pea."

Reluctantly, Pip complied and showed her the image of Sunset Shimmer and Snow Pea eating breakfast.

Belladonna exclaimed, "The fools! They are wearing the jewelry! This will make it far more difficult to completely take over Equestria."

Sonata suggested, "Why not just take the jewelry while they're asleep?"

"You fool! Once someone, a pony or otherwise, wears a piece of the Elemental Jewelry, it becomes stuck on them in times of danger. It protects the wearer from harm, so I cannot touch them!"

"But what if you brought them here?"

There was a pause until an evil smile spread across Belladonna's face. She said, "Hmmm…Kidnap one or both of the princesses…turn them evil…Sonata, that might be just brilliant!"

The sirens were amazed by this and cried, "It is?!"

Nightmare Moon argued, "But how would that be possible? You said so yourself that the jewelry protects the wearer from evil!"

Belladonna turned to the princess and explained, "I know what happens when a wearer turns evil…willingly. The piece of Elemental Jewelry turns dark with them. So if I kidnap one or both princesses, perhaps I can convince them to join our cause!"

She then began to sing, _"In the dark of the night, I was tossing and turning…And the nightmare I had was as bad as can be…It brought me so much sorrow…A mare being shadow…then I open my eyes and the nightmare was me!_

 _"_ _I was once the most adored pony in the kingdom…When the royals betrayed me, they made a mistake! My curse made each pony pay, but two princesses got away! They both need to beware because I'm awake!"_

The sirens and Nightmare Moon sang, _"In the dark of the night, evil will find them…In the dark of the night when there's no dawn…"_

 _"_ _Revenge will be sweet…"_

The five all sang together, _"When the curse is complete…"_

NMM and the sirens then sang, _"In the dark of the night…"_

Belladonna sang, _"They'll be gone!"_ After the sirens and NMM vocalized, the Umbrum princess continued to sing, _"I can feel that my powers are slowly returning…Tie my sash and a dash of perfume for that smell! As the pieces fall into place, I'll see them crawling into place!_ Sayonara, _Your Highnesses! Farewell!"_

NMM and the sirens sang again, _"In the dark of the night, terror will strike them…"_

 _"_ _Terror's the_ least _I can do!"_

 _"_ _In the dark of the night, evil will rule…"_

 _Soon they will feel…"_

Belladonna then sang, _"…that their nightmares are real!"_

 _"_ _In the dark of the night…"_

 _"_ _They'll be through!"_

The sirens sang, _"In the dark of the night, evil will find them!"_

Nightmare Moon sang, _"Find them!"_

 _"_ _In the dark of the night, terror comes true!"_

 _"_ _Doom them!"_

Belladonna then sang, _"My dears, here's a sign…"_

All five of them sang, _"It's the end of the line!"_

The sirens chanted, _"In the dark of the night…in the dark of the night…"_

By that time, the five of them went out on a balcony. Belladonna stepped towards the railing and lit up her horn in a haze of black, purple, and green. Her mane and tail rose up in the air as she summoned forth the Umbrum. Her eyes glowed and scarlet smoke trailed from them as she sang, _"Come, my minions, rise for your master! Let your evil shine!"_

The sirens continued to chant, _"In the dark of the night, in the dark of the night…"_

 _"_ _Find them now, yes, fly ever faster!"_

 _"_ _In the dark of the night, in the dark of the night, in the dark of the night…"_

 _"_ _They'll be mine!"_

Belladonna sent the Umbrum towards the outside world, but Nightmare Moon caught a glimpse of a skull-and-crossbones cutie mark on the Umbrum princess's flank.

 ** _AN: Bonus! CartoonNerd12 wrote the passage of the chapter that begins with "There was an ominous pause…" and ends with "…and her body." I did some tweaking, but it is still very much CN12's work._**


	6. The Elemental Jewelry

In a white flash, Discord whisked the alert royals to Canterlot Castle. The halls seemed empty, so bare of life. The fact it was nighttime and a shadow was slowly covering the moon didn't help ease the nervous feelings the group had.

Sunset asked, "Discord, could you turn on the lights?"

He replied, "I'm on it."

When he snapped his fingers, the candles relit themselves. After the hallway was lit up, the royals saw a group of guards lying on the floor. The royals carried them to some guest rooms before visiting Celestia and Sombra's chamber. They opened the door and found the former king and queen lying on the floor.

Snow Pea cried, "Grandma Tia! Grandpapa!"

Spike calmed her, "It's okay, Snowy. They're just under the sleeping curse. They'll be fine."

After the group put Sombra and Celestia in their bed, they ventured towards the Star Swirl the Bearded wing and opened the gate.

The three fillies exclaimed, "Whoa!"

Sunset herself was in awe of this and remarked, "Oh, wow! Mom and Dad must be pretty lucky to have _this_ many books and scrolls by Star Swirl himself!"

Apple Jewel asked, "Wasn't that because he was close friends with Grandma and Aunt Luna?"

Sunset corrected her, "Er…I would think they were more confidants than friends. You see, Star Swirl didn't understand friendship all that much. He spent most of his time just studying and creating spells."

Discord crossed his arms and said, "Does it remind you of anypony?"

Sunset retorted, "Can Twilight and I help it if we like to read and study magic?! Is that so wrong?!"

Discord could only snicker.

The group then combed the wing, but with no luck. Snow Pea groaned, "We'll never find the magic spellbook at this rate." Suddenly, the tiara on Snow Pea's head began to glow and sent her flying her across the wing. She yelped, "Who-o-oa! Where are you taking me?" Then, without warning, she landed on a glass case. She looked inside and saw a book with a star on it.

She turned her head and shouted, "Guys! I found the book!"

Sunset's voice called out, "Where are you, Snow Pea?!"

She began to say, "I'm right he-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a bright, brilliant amaranth glow emanated from the tiara with such intensity. She had to cover her eyes from the strong light.

When the other royals came to Snow Pea, Discord said, "Turn off that light, Snow Pea! We're right here!"

"I don't know how!"

Just then, the glow died down and everypony could see again.

Sunset gasped, "Snowy! What are you doing on the glass case?" She levitated Snow Pea down. The filly still had her eyes covered.

"Am I blind?"

"Open your eyes and find out for yourself."

Snow Pea slowly opened her eyes and to her relief, she could see everyone and everything.

As Sunset went to open the glass case, Spike asked, "How'd you find the book, Snow Pea?"

"I don't know. I was searching for it and suddenly, the tiara flew me across the room until I landed on the glass case."

Discord said, "Well, I think I'm starting to believe Zecora now."

Sunset held the book with her magic and started flipping through pages. She muttered, "Let's see…Halo of Cirrostrata…disguise spell…the contest between Meadowbrook and Parlor Trix…" Suddenly, the aura surrounding the book turned brilliant amaranth and the book's pages began rapidly turning. Sunset cried, "Wha- Hey!"

She looked up to see the tiara on Snow Pea's head glowing. Snow Pea apologized, "I'm sorry, Aunt Sunny! I don't know what it's doing!"

Just then, the pages stopped at a section with an illustration of four pieces of jewelry. Sunset cried, "Ah! What do you know? It's right here! Thanks, Snow Pea." She read the following section:

"'The Elemental Jewelry was created to harness the four elements: fire, earth, air, and water. At the request of the society, which shall not be named here, each of four different non-pony tribes crafted one piece, which represented an element. The dragons forged the Fire Tiara with their fiery breath and the molten ore from their volcanoes. The yaks created the Earth Bracelets from the iron, silver, and gold found in the nearby mountains. For the Air Vest, the griffons also used metal from their mountains, but they also used the cloth created from the wool of mountain goats and sheep. The kelpies crafted the Water Necklace from the valuable rocks and pebbles for most of it and two white pearls for decoration.

"'But none of the pieces of the jewelry were made by one tribe alone. The tribes contributed their part to every piece to represent the unity of the four elements. Then, the elders of the society along with the elders and shamans of the four tribes imbued the Elemental Jewelry with powerful magic pertaining to their elements.

"'The Elemental Jewelry doesn't just harness the powers of the elements in physical form. These very potent pieces also create power for the ideals of which each element is represented. Fire brings energy, Earth enhances strength, Water influences and can be influenced by emotion, and Air gives wings to any wingless being who wears the vest. All of them have been hidden because of their great power. Whoever wields all of the Elemental Jewelry will gain total and complete control.

"'However, a failsafe had been imbued in the pieces. If the wearer is wearing a piece when danger comes, it shall protect that being from harm. However, if the wearer succumbs to the darkness, the piece he or she is wearing will be as corrupted as the wearer is. If a dark being possesses a piece that has not been worn, that piece will turn dark when he or she wears it. It is vital that the pieces of Elemental Jewelry must remain hidden or dire things will happen if they fall into the wrong hooves.'"

Sunset looked at the illustration of the Elemental Jewelry, but she noticed that the picture of the Water Necklace was blotted out. She turned the book towards the group and said, "It looks like the Water Necklace got smudged out for some reason."

Just then, she saw Snow Pea collapsing to the floor. She asked frantically, "Snow Pea, are you okay?"

Discord put his paw on Snowy's forehead, but drew it back when he touched the tiara. "Ouch!" he cried as he waved his paw to cool it. "The tiara's fire hot!"

Screwy said, "I think it's because the tiara's been using its magic."

Snowy panted, "The cold doesn't bother me, but the heat does."

Discord said, "Well, let's find the dragons who made the tiara before your brain gets fried!"

Out on the balcony of the Canterlot hall, the royals emerged before the crowd of non-ponies below them. The crowd was asking frantically:

"What's happening?"

"Where is the sun?"

"What's happened to every pony?"

"The moon's being covered by a mysterious shadow!"

"What should we do?"

"I say it's the royals' fault!"

Just then, Sunset used a spell to amplify her voice and quelled the crowd, "Citizens of Equestria and other countries! I am Princess Sunset Shimmer, daughter of Celestia and Sombra, former rulers of Canterlot. Equestria is under a sleeping curse and it's affected only ponies, including most of my family. The reason my niece and I are awake now is because we are wearing Elemental Jewelry. We didn't know what they were until recently."

A gruff voice came from the crowd, "Are you sure you didn't plan this?"

"No! We would never jeopardize Equestria like this! You have to believe us! Snow Pea is in serious trouble because the tiara is giving her heatstroke! See for yourselves!"

Discord came forward and showed a barely-conscious Snow Pea to the crowd. She was sweating like crazy and the tiara was still glowing a less intense brilliant amaranth. The sight of the suffering princess elicited gasps from the crowd.

Sunset continued, "Any magic the tiara used wasn't done by Snow Pea, but by itself. If anyone knows the original crafters of the tiara, please tell us."

After several moments, an elderly female dragon stepped forward. She said something, but her voice was too small to be heard on the balcony.

Sunset said, "Hang on. Come inside and then you can tell us what you want to say."

The royals went inside and downstairs to meet the elderly dragon at the door. The dragon said, "I know one of the crafters who made the tiara. He came up with the design for it and supervised its creation. His name is Firestone and he lives in Fillydelphia with his daughter. But I'd best hurry if I were you, because the filly might not have much time."

Sunset nodded, "Thank you so much. We shall repay you when we get back."

Discord said, "Oh, let's pay her now before we forget." He snapped his talon and a huge bag of gems appeared.

Spike said, "Discord! She can't carry all of that!"

The elderly dragon said, "Oh, you'd be surprised." She grabbed the bag and flipped it onto her back. As if the bag was as light as a feather, she exited the castle the same way she entered.

The royals were astonished by this and Spike said, "Okay…I guess I was wrong."

In the Umbrum world, Belladonna was reading in her private library when a voice asked, "You're not like the Umbrum, are you?"

Belladonna turned to see Nightmare Moon at the door. She decided to dismiss the interruption and answered her question, "You saw this little beauty?" Her mane magically lifted itself to reveal the cutie mark Nightmare Moon had seen on the balcony. She told the princess, "It's just a stark reminder of who I was before I became who I am now."

NMM asked, "And who were you?"

The Umbrum princess scoffed as she covered her flank again, "Nopony who's important now. She's gone from my life forever." Just then, there was a rumbling. She exclaimed, "What in Equestria was that?!"

Nightmare Moon said, "I'll go see what it was. I'll inform you right away if there's trouble." Within a moment, NMM turned into a blue mist and sped out of the library.

Earlier, the sirens were talking amongst themselves with Pip looking on in the mirror. He said to the sirens, "You know you cannot keep me trapped forever! My family will set me free!"

The sirens turned towards him and then laughed wickedly.

Adagio floated up to the mirror and said, "Oh, I highly doubt that. You are our slave now, so you have to do what we say."

Pip said, "Bet you can't control me when you're singing."

Sonata gasped dramatically, "Oh! Oh! You did not just say that!"

Aria retorted, "We'll prove just how wrong you are!"

Adagio began singing, _"I put a spell on you…and now you're mine…You can't stop the things I do…I ain't lying…It's been too many years…Right down to the day…Now the siren's back…and there's heck to pay…I put a spell on you…And now you're miiiiine!"_

When Pip felt a tremor created by Adagio's voice in the mirror, it gave him an idea.

She continued, _"I put a spell on you…and now you're gone!"_

The two other sirens sang, _"Gone, gone, gone…So long!"_

 _"_ _My whammy fell on you…and it was strong…"_

 _"_ _So strong, so strong, so strong…"_

 _"_ _Your wretched little life has now been cursed…'Cause of all the sirens working…I'm the worst! I put a spell on you…and now you're mine!"_

 _"_ _Watch out, watch out, watch out, watch out…"_

Pip sang, _"Are you lying?"_

Adagio sang in protest, _"If you don't believe, you better get superstitious…Ask these sirens!"_

Aria and Sonata sang, _"Oooh, she's vicious!"_

 _"_ _Ah! Eee! I put a spell on you…A wicked spell! I put a spell on you…Sirens!"_

All three sirens sang, _"Ah-say-into-pie…Oppa-maybe-uppen-die!"_

Pip sang in a louder voice than the sirens', _"Ah-say-into-pie…Oppa-maybe-uppen-die!"_

In protest, the sirens sang in a voice louder than Pip's, _"In-kama-koray-ah-ma!"_

Still, Pip sang more loudly, _"In-kama-koray-ah-ma!"_

They continued to sing in louder scales, practically dueling each other.

 _"_ _Hey!"_

 _"_ _Hey!"_

 _"_ _High!"_

 _"_ _High!"_

 _"_ _Say!"_

 _"_ _Say!"_

 _"_ _Bye!"_

 _"_ _Bye!"_

 _"_ _Bye-iii-iii! Bye-bye!"_

When the sirens sang that last verse, their volume was so strong that it shook the castle and broke all of the mirrors within it. Their moment of victory was short-lived, however, when they realized that they broke the wall mirror.

Sonata uttered, "Uh-oh."

Adagio quickly grabbed the hoofheld mirror, but it, too, was broken.

Aria said, "This is not good."

Sonata whimpered, "Ohh…We're in for it now!"

Just then, a blue mist appeared in the room. The mist then transformed itself into Nightmare Moon.

The sirens gasped, "Nightmare Moon!"

When NMM looked all around the room, she saw that the mirrors were broken. She demanded, " _WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE MIRRORS?!"_

Adagio nervously chuckled, "Oh, heh-heh…Funny story, Your Excellency…Er…You see…"

Sonata then blurted out, "It wasn't our fault! The prince didn't believe we could control him by singing, but then we sang so loud we broke the mirrors!"

Aria jabbed Sonata with her elbow.

NMM said in an apathetic tone, "He tricked you, didn't he?"

 ** _AN: The song the sirens sing is "I Put a Spell on You" from the film_** **Hocus-Pocus.**


	7. Firestone's Story

Discord flashed the royals into Dragon Town, the part of Fillydelphia where the dragons lived. To their surprise, it was bare, not a single soul on the street.

Spike said, "Okay, this is freaking me out."

Apple Jewel asked, "I don't understand. Where are the dragons?"

Screwball said, "I thought Nightmare Moon said that the curse only affected ponies."

Discord said as he put a sweating Snow Pea in Sunset's arms, "Here. I have an idea." He conjured up a stand and shouted into a megaphone, "ALL DRAGONS, MAY WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE?! WE ARE THE CANTERLOT ROYALS AND WE REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE! WE NEED TO SPEAK TO FIRESTONE IMMEDIATELY! YES, THE FIRE TIARA'S THE REAL THING, SO IF THE CRAFTER OF THE TIARA WOULD COME FORWARD, THAT WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED! THANK YOU!"

By then, every dragon in Dragon Town popped their heads out of the windows of the apartments.

Spike muttered, "Well, you certainly got their attention."

Discord smiled, "I know, right?"

"Hey! Over here!"

The royals looked all around for the voice that just called. They then looked up to see a pink dragon with blue eyes and hair waving to them. She called to them, "I can take you to Firestone! Come on in!"

The dragon led the royals up the stairs as she jabbered, "I cannot believe this is for real! I just wish that this could've been at a better time when all of Equestria's not in so much trouble. But, still, you're here! Oh, I almost forgot. I'm Mia, a big fan of yours! Huge!

"Especially you, Spike! You are a dragon prince because you married a Canterlot princess and now have a cute, adorable girl, too!"

Spike smirked, "And I did it all for love."

"Red rubies!"

Apple Jewel asked, "Where?"

Mia clarified, "It's an expression, Apple Jewel. Your dad's an inspiration to us all! He proved that dragons are not all that bad! Because of him, we dragons have gotten more respect." They stopped at a door and she said, "Well, here's my home."

Spike said in a confused tone, "Wait, I thought you were taking us to see Firestone."

She giggled, "I am." She opened the door and called into the room, "Dad! The Canterlot Royals want to see you!"

Screwball said, "Wait. Is Firestone your…?"

Just then, a portly red dragon stepped into view. He had thinning blue hair, yellow eyes with white sclera, yellow horns, and glasses.

Mia smiled, "Yep. My dad."

The royals relayed the whole story to Firestone and Mia. Midway through the story, they heard gasps and murmurs of "Ooh!"

Discord went to the window and pulled back the curtains to find a group of dragons flying outside the window. He told them, "I'm sorry, but there's no eavesdropping allowed."

He covered the window again as the group groaned, "Aww…"

When the royals finished their tale, Firestone said, "Hmmm…If Snow Pea has snow powers, the Fire Tiara will act as its polar opposite."

Discord snickered at the unintentional pun until he saw the serious looks on the others' faces. He shrugged, "Sorry. It was the way you worded it."

Firestone cleared his throat and continued, "Yes, well, be that as that may…Both ice and fire magic will continue fighting each other until either the tiara will be rendered useless or little Snow Pea will…"

Sunset asked, "You must help us! You're our only hope! We can't take off the jewelry, so what else can we do?"

Firestone contemplated until he said, "We might be able to convert the fire element in the tiara into energy so that its magic could be safe for Snow Pea to use. But I must warn you: her powers will become even stronger than before. She must use her magic wisely and sparingly. Do you understand?" When the royals nodded, he sighed, "I just hope it works. Discord, can you conjure up an alchemy lab?"

Discord responded, "Will do." With a snap of his talon, the entire living room was transformed into an alchemy lab.

Firestone remarked, "Well, certainly not what I expected, but this could work."

After creating the potion, Firestone poured it onto the tiara and rubbed it all over the piece of jewelry. He said, "There. Now all we need is a tub of ice-cold water."

Discord said, "Coming right up." He snapped his fingers and a tub of cold water with ice cubes in it appeared.

"Perfect," Firestone said. He held Snow Pea close to the icy water and said, "May the fire energy flowing through the tiara fuel your icy magic."

He released Snow Pea from his grasp and she fell into the tub. The group watched with anticipation and seconds later, Snow Pea emerged from the water, coughing and gasping for air. The royals cheered when they saw that Snow Pea was all right.

Spike asked, "How do you feel, Snowy?"

She answered, "I think I'm okay, Uncle Spike. What happened to the tiara? Is the magic gone?"

As Snowy was lifted out of the tub and dried, Firestone answered, "The fire within the tiara will not bother you for as long as your wear the headpiece. It has been converted into magical energy that will increase your snow powers. You must be careful when you use your magic and the tiara's."

Snow Pea was horrified when she learned that. She said fearfully, "But I didn't want my powers to become stronger! I might put somepony in danger because of my magic! Can't you just take the tiara off?!"

Firestone shook his head, "I'm afraid not, Snow Pea. When the Elemental Jewelry was first created, Equestria was in great peril. The Umbrum and the Windigos were on the loose, creating havoc all across the land. The elders all across the land decided to forge four powerful items that were each connected to a single element. However, they would have to be attached to the body yet subtle enough so they didn't attract the attention of the enemies. It was Star Swirl the Bearded who suggested that the items would be pieces of jewelry that would fasten to the wearer and would be connected to a fifth element: the soul."

The kids were agape when they heard Star Swirl's name. Screwball asked, "You knew Star Swirl the Bearded? But wouldn't that make you, like, super-old?"

Sunset admonished Screwy, "Screwball!"

Firestone chuckled, "Well, we dragons age a bit differently than ponies, though there are some exceptions. You see, I had recently become of age when the jewelry was made. I was known for my brilliance, so I was asked to supervise the creation of the tiara and even design it. We had to find the most suitable material for the tiara, nothing less. For that, we used the best rubies and the strongest of molten ore from volcanoes. We even used the hottest of fiery breath to match the power the tiara would possess.

"However, the tiara wasn't created by fire alone. Water was used to cool it, air to dry it and give it its luster, and the ore came from the very earth. The same applied for the rest of the Elemental Jewelry in almost the same way. After the jewelry was imbued with magic, we chose a pony to wield them all to battle the Umbrum and Windigos. To this day, Star Swirl is the only known pony to have worn all four pieces. He was chosen because he was a powerful unicorn who had a righteous soul. We all knew that if a being with any darkness in their soul wore even one piece, that piece would turn as dark as the wearer.

"As soon as the Windigos and Umbrum were defeated, we scattered the Elemental Jewelry across Equestria. Their locations were only known to the members of the secret society. However, they left a few clues behind to find them again should another great danger arise. But if what you say is true, then the sirens had already discovered the hiding places of the Fire Tiara and the Earth Bracelets and were intending to bring them to Belladonna."

Sunset deduced, "So that leaves only the Air Vest and the Water Necklace. How do we find them?"

Firestone rubbed his chin and said, "Well, I have the clue to the Water Necklace's location, but not to the Air Vest. But I do know that the original crafters of the vest know where the location is. You can ask them at Griffonstone."

Discord said, "Then let's start there!"

Suddenly, the tiara glowed and Snow Pea's eyes began to glow white. The royals and dragons looked on in shock.

Mia asked worriedly, "What's happening to her?"

Firestone answered, "If I remember correctly, I'd say that she's having a vision. Star Swirl was said to have experienced the very same thing."

As Snow Pea gave a shriek and fell backwards, her eyes and the tiara stopped glowing.

Sunset caught her in her hooves and asked, "Are you okay, Snowy?"

She shivered, "I saw something really scary. There was a castle and the door was pounding. All of a sudden, green bugs came bursting out and a creepy bug-like pony trotted out the door behind the bugs."

Discord and Spike faced each other in shock and said simultaneously, "Oh, no…"

Apple Jewel asked, "What's wrong, Daddy?"

Discord tittered, "Slight change of plans, kids. We're going to have to make a pit stop first."

Spike said, "But we can't stop her on our own!"

Screwball asked, "Who's 'her'?"

Discord and Spike cringed at each other and the draconequus whispered, "Should we tell them?"

Spike countered, "We all made a promise to never tell the kids."

"Well, in this case, they're eventually going to find out."

Screwball said, "Dad, what aren't you telling us?"

Sunset told the guys, "I think it's time they knew."

Discord and Spike nodded solemnly to each other.

Sunset started, "You know how your parents fell in love and got married, right?" When the girls nodded, she continued, "Well, there's more to the story."

Discord said, "Long before your grandparents had their first daughter, they defeated Queen Chrysalis in battle. She's the Changeling Queen and the bug-pony Snow Pea saw in her vision."

Spike said, "Years later, she ambushed the Everfree Castle when Apple Jewel's and Screwball's mothers were just fillies."

Sunset spoke, "Chrysalis intended to cast a curse on your grandma, but your grandpa took it for her. And since my sisters were his daughters, Chrysalis could track them down whenever they were in love."

Spike continued, "So your grandma did everything she could to keep your mothers and aunts from falling in love. It worked out great until…they met us."

Apple Jewel said, "But I thought it was the happiest time of your lives."

Discord said, "Don't get us wrong. We cherished every moment we spent with your mothers, but because of us, Chrysalis was able to find the girls and…kidnap them."

Sunset said, "Don't say it that way! You guys didn't know."

Spike nodded, "That's true, but from the moment they were taken, we vowed to find them."

Discord added, "We and your uncles traveled to the Changeling Kingdom and rescued our beloveds."

"After we saved your mothers and aunts and trapped Chrysalis –"

"Courtesy of _moi_."

"We had guards posted at the castle to make sure she stayed there."

Sunset said, "But according to your vision, Snow Pea, Chrysalis could be making her escape right now!"

Screwball said, "We have to stop her!"

Discord rubbed his goatee as he contemplated, "Yes, but Spike is right. We'll be vastly outnumbered." Suddenly, his eyes lit up when he thought of an idea. He then smirked, "So we need to have firepower to even the score."

 ** _AN: Remember Mia? She was in_ Friends Forever _issue 14 in the MLP comics! Another bonus: CartoonNerd12 suggested the dialogue between Discord and Spike when they discuss telling the kids about Chrysalis._**


	8. Prisoner Visit

"All right. Once we get out of this stinkhole, we'll be free to take to the skies!" Chrysalis spoke to her Changeling Army. "Pupa, go check to see if the coast is clear. I want to be out of here before the guards wake up."

Pupa opened the rectangular peephole and to the surprise of the changelings, his face got burnt by fire.

Chrysalis shrieked in anger, "WHAT?!"

After Pupa fell to the ground in a daze, the queen rushed to the door and looked out the peephole. She saw two dragons growling at her and two of the enemies she despised the most.

She growled, "You again?!"

Discord said, "Yes, us again!"

Spike added, "And we're making sure you never escape!"

Screwball said, "Not after what you did to our mommies!"

The Changeling Queen's eyes flickered to the three fillies that were by Discord and Spike's side. She mocked in a faux sweet tone to the draconequus and dragon, "Isn't this charming? I never knew you both had it in you to create near-normal offspring."

Discord snarled, "Don't say a word about Screwball!"

"Screwball?" She then laughed wildly as she threw herself to the floor. When she composed herself, she snidely remarked, "Only the Master of Chaos would name his daughter 'Screwball'."

Sunset whispered to the fillies, "Don't let anything Chrysalis says get to you."

"Oh. And who do we have here?"

"I am Princess Sunset Shimmer, twin sister of Twilight Sparkle."

"A twin sister? Well, this is a surprise. I was never told of a twin sister. Funny how you don't look like Twilight at all."

"We don't have to look alike to be sisters."

"Then how was it I could never find you? No colt ever grew attracted to you? Didn't have time to find love?"

This troubled Sunset until Screwball shouted to Chrysalis, "Leave Aunt Sunset alone! Leave Equestria alone!"

"Oh, I would, but my subjects and I haven't been fed today. Tell you what? I'll stay here in the castle indefinitely if you provide food for us. We simply can't take our revenge if we're malnourished." The queen rubbed her stomach for emphasis.

Discord groaned, "Here." He tossed a bag of hayseed through the peephole and the bag grew large when it reached the inside of the castle.

Chrysalis gave him a glare and muttered, "This is cruel and unusual punishment."

Sunset asked, "So do we have your word that you won't try to escape?"

The queen answered, "For now. That doesn't mean we'll just sit idly by for the next century. We will be back, so you better watch out."

Discord said, "Not on my watch, Chryssie. We don't need _two_ evil forces wreaking havoc on Equestria."

This intrigued Chrysalis and she asked, "'Two'? Is there another force out there that needs to be dealt with?"

Spike answered reluctantly, "The Umbrum. They turned Princess Luna into Nightmare Moon and now there's no day. Only night."

There was silence until Discord teased, "What's the matter, Chrysalis? No snide remark about the Umbrum?"

Chrysalis said, "The Umbrum are dangerous creatures. They are more fearsome than you can imagine and worse than even your worst nightmares."

Apple Jewel asked, "Even you?"

The Changeling Queen stood silent for a moment before she answered, "Though I wish that wasn't true, it unfortunately is."

Just then, the hoofheld mirror Discord retrieved from the Everfree Castle began to chime. Discord grabbed it and said, "We have to take this."

When Discord tapped the mirror, Pip appeared and said in an urgent tone, "The Umbrum are on the march! They're headed your way!"

Screwball uttered, "Uh-oh…"

Sunset asked, "Where were they last?"

Pip answered, "They were near the Everfree Castle. They had already swept everywhere north of it."

Discord said, "Maybe you can spy on our villainous quintet and find out what they're planning next."

Pip sighed, "I'm afraid I can't. I tricked the sirens into singing loud enough to break the mirrors in their castle. I did it so they wouldn't spy on you, but it seems that I cost us surveillance on them."

Sunset smiled to comfort him, "It's okay. You were thinking about our safety and willing to sacrifice information on them so we wouldn't be in danger."

Discord said, "Well, that's just great. _Now_ what do we do?"

Spike said, "I guess we look for the two missing pieces of Elemental Jewelry."

Sunset said, "Yes, but we can't look until the Umbrum reach the ends of Equestria and then go back to the Frozen North."

Spike asked, "But where are we going to hide? It has to be somewhere the Umbrum are least likely to look."

After a moment of thought, Sunset smirked, "Or maybe it's somewhere they've _already_ looked." When the royals gave her confused looks, the unicorn explained, "The manor where I used to live is near Rainbow Falls. It's likely the Umbrum already searched there. With a barrier spell over the manor, it could be the ideal place to be safe from the Umbrum if they decide to do a second sweep."

Snow Pea asked, "But what about Starlight Glimmer? Maybe the spell kept her safe from the sleeping curse."

Discord rubbed his chin and said, "Hmm…You're right, Snow Pea. All right! We'll just go to Starlight's manor." He enjoyed the possibility of annoying Starlight if she was awake.

Apple Jewel muttered, "I just hope she isn't awake."

Spike told the dragons by the door, "Now stay here and stand guard at the door until the royal guards awaken."

Discord wheeled in a wagon chockfull of gems and jewels and grunted, "And this *unh!* should tide you over for *ergh!* the next two days." The dragons looked at him confusedly and Discord looked up to see the moon, on which the peculiar shadow had now grown into a triangle with curved sides. He said, "Oh, right. There is no day." He warned Chrysalis, "Now behave yourself and don't even _think_ about escaping."

Chrysalis rolled her eyes, "Of course I wouldn't. I don't want to get caught on the business end of a dragon's fire, do I?"

Spike said to the dragons standing guard, "Keep watch of her and don't let her escape."

The dragons nodded, "Yes, Your Highness."

Before Spike turned to leave, one of the dragons asked, "Er, excuse me, Prince Spike? Can I get an autograph? My son is a big fan of yours. It would mean a lot to him."

Spike nodded, "Sure." After he signed his autograph, Spike went to meet with the royals.

Discord said, "Then we're all set!" He began to sing, " _Over the river and through the woods!"_ He then grabbed the royals and continued to sing, _"To Starlight's manor we go!"_ In a white flash, the royals all disappeared.

At the Umbrum castle, Rabia – the head of the Umbrum forces – reported to Belladonna and Nightmare Moon. She told them, "We checked all over the castle, Your Highnesses. I regret to say that all of the mirrors have been broken."

Belladonna gave a growl and stomped her hoof. She then snarled, "Curse those incompetent sirens! Because of them, we have no way to spy on the princesses!"

NMM said, "I may offer a solution. I have the ability to overlook any area via the moon. It acts as a window for me, so I can spy on the royals without any mirrors."

Belladonna smiled wickedly and said, "Looks like you are the perfect recruit after all. Very well. Go outside and use the moon to spy on the princesses."

Nightmare Moon nodded and left the Umbrum world. She emerged from the red crystal and climbed up a snowy crest. She looked at the moon and felt something stir within her. Even though she had turned into Nightmare Moon, a part of Luna's soul was kept awake so the princess wouldn't fully succumb to the darkness. As long as that part of her was still aware, she wouldn't lose her identity as Luna. Through the mind's eye, the inner Luna looked sorrowfully at the moon.

Inner Luna then began to sing, _"Sometimes I close my eyes…and say a prayer…that finally today will be the day…I watch the far horizon…No one's there…But somewhere you are safe and far away…"_

She turned to see a patch of her dreamworld suddenly withering away. She continued to sing sorrowfully, _"I'm sorry...Sometimes I wonder if you're still alive…How could you survive such a dangerous world out there? Beware, you all…Take care, you all…Take care…"_

Nightmare Moon, however, remained as stoic as ever and knew that when the shadow completely covered the moon, the rest of Luna would fade away.

Meanwhile, the royals suddenly arrived at Starlight Glimmer's manor.

Sunset sighed, "Well…this is it. Home sweet home."

Apple Jewel asked, "But I thought you were being held captive there."

"I was, but I didn't know it at the time."

Snow Pea asked, "Do you think Starlight's awake?"

Discord said, "I'll check it out."

Within moments, he conjured up army binoculars and used them to scan the manor. He saw Starlight and said, "There she is, all snug in her bed. I wonder if visions of sugarplums are dancing in her head."

The fillies giggled as Discord continued to scan the manor.

He said, "I'm looking all through the house…Well, not a creature is stirring, not even a – Wait! I think I see a mouse." He removed his binoculars and twirled them as he chuckled, "Starlight will have to deal with the infestation when she wakes up."

Screwball said, "Well, let's take in the mouse since Starlight's going to be mean to it." She then rushed towards the manor.

Sunset cried, "Screwball, no!"

But to her surprise, Screwball just jumped through the barrier – and the door – as if they were just hoops.

Discord smiled, "You've got to give credit to Fluttershy. Screwy got her pity for animals from her mother."

He then went up to the barrier and lightly tapped it. Within seconds, a hole began to grow from where Discord touched the force field. It stopped growing when the entire door was accessible.

He opened the door and gestured the royals in, "Well, shall we?"

Apple Jewel asked, "Um, shouldn't we bring the guards in?" She pointed to the two royal guards sleeping at the doorway.

Sunset said, "We'll take them into the house. After the danger's passed, we'll put them back outside…with comfortable necessities."

Discord asked, "Why don't you use those bracelets of yours? Didn't the book say it would give you strength?"

"That's true, but…" She caved in to the temptation of testing the bracelets' magic, so she sighed, "All right. I am a little curious, anyway."

She activated her horn and to her surprise, she was able to lift both guards as if they were only balloons. She carried them in with little effort at all. As soon as the royals were in the manor, Discord closed the door and the hole closed around the door.

 ** _AN: Heads up! The next chapter is going to be a big-bang chapter! Prepare for feels…By the way, the song Inner Luna sings is the reprise of "Sometimes I Wonder" from the film_** **The Pebble and the Penguin.**


	9. Secrets in the Diaries

"It's so dark in here!"

"I can't see anything!"

"Where are the lights?"

"Hang on," Discord said. "I got this." He then snapped his fingers.

Within seconds, the torches became lit and the whole hallway became visible. The main hallway was expansive, elegant, and gray at the same time.

Discord said, "Eesh. Starlight really needs a decorator around here."

Spike looked back to see the girls and saw that Screwball and Apple Jewel looked weary. When they collapsed to the floor, Spike said, "Uh-oh. Fillies down."

Discord scooped up the sleepy fillies and asked Sunset, "I don't suppose we could use Starlight's teacups, could we?"

Sunset began to protest, "I don't think we should…"

Discord interrupted, "Oh, good! She won't mind. After all, she is asleep, so there's no harm in using her teacups."

As he made his way to the kitchen, Sunset groaned and face-hoofed.

When the group entered the kitchen, Discord said, "Snow Pea, be a dear and grab those two teacups while I prepare the potion."

Snow Pea nodded, "Sure." She went over to the cupboard and concentrated on the two teacups until her ice blue aura enveloped them. She brought them to Discord and said, "Here you go, Uncle Discord."

He said, "Thank you, my little pony."

He then poured the potion into the teacups as Snowy held them with her magic. She then gave the cups to Screwball and Apple Jewel and tilted them into the fillies' mouths. The sleepy fillies gave expressions of shock and skyrocketed through the ceiling.

"YOWWWWWW!" they both cried.

Spike admonished Discord, "Discord, did you add caffeine to the potion?" He touched one of the teacups and instantly, he drew his claw back in shock. He cried out, "Whoa! That is _cold,_ Snow Pea!" He breathed fire on his claw to warm it, but he soon realized, "That wasn't a good idea." Spike screamed as he ran around with his claw on fire.

Sunset ran after him and shouted, "Spike, stop, drop, and roll! Stop, drop, and roll!" When Spike put his claw in his mouth to extinguish the flame, Sunset said, "Or put your claw in your mouth."

Snow Pea said sadly, "I didn't mean to make them freezing. I can't control my powers just yet."

When Snowy sniffled, Sunset wrapped her hoof around her niece and comforted, "Hey, hey. It's okay, Snowy. You're getting better every day."

Screwball said as she and Apple Jewel floated down towards the floor, "Yeah. It's not your fault that your snow powers are a little out of whack. You just need to practice."

Sunset said, "Here. I know what'll cheer you up."

She went to the fireplace and pulled down the head of a stone pony. A staircase then depressed into the floor and everypony but Sunset looked on in wonder.

Screwball breathed, "Dude!"

Jewel agreed, "So cool!"

Spike said, "That is awesome!"

Discord remarked, "I must admit: Starlight knows how to pull a neat trick."

Sunset climbed down the steps and said, "Come on."

The group then followed her and entered a secret room filled with knickknacks, most of which were covered.

"Whoa!" the three fillies said.

Discord said, "Just what was Starlight? A pack rat?"

Sunset shrugged, "I don't even know what she did before she kidnapped me. It's a mystery how she acquired so many things and then put them here."

Discord put a finger to his chin and said, "Hmm…You know, most secret rooms exist for one of two reasons: they're either a spare storage room for priceless treasures or they're meant to keep things from the past so that pony would forget the heartache he or she experienced."

"Knowing Starlight, she probably built this room to keep me and the others from ever knowing about my past."

Apple Jewel blew on a dusty book and the dust flew to Spike. He let out a big sneeze and blew fire on the floor.

Discord shouted, "Whoa!" He jumped back and crashed into a bookshelf. When the bookshelf shook, a box from the top fell down and hit Discord's nose before falling to the ground. He cried, "Ow! What on earth was that?"

The group looked to see assorted knickknacks that spilled out of the box, including ribbons, pictures, and a book. The box began to play a tune familiar to Sunset's ears.

She gasped, "I remember this song! Starlight used to sing it to me before I went to sleep." She reminisced the memory of Starlight tucking her in bed when Sunset was younger. The amber unicorn then began to sing, _"There can be damage words can do…when full of thoughtless pride…Now heed the wiser voice in you…that calls to be your guide…_

 _"_ _The flowers reaching for the sun are all uniquely blessed…But though each is special…not a one is better than the rest…Bloom, bloom, may you know…the wisdom only time breeds…There's room, bloom, and you'll grow…to follow where your heart leads…_

 _"_ _Bloom and may you bring your colors to the vast bouquet…There's room, bloom, learn one thing…Your gifts are meant to give away…"_

Sunset snapped out of her trance when Snow Pea asked, "But I don't understand. If Starlight was keeping you locked up here, then how could she act like a mother?"

"Well, that's just it. Despite being controlling over me, she did have her good points. She taught me to sing and practice magic. And even though we didn't celebrate Hearth's Warming, she always gave me a present on my birthday every year."

Spike said, "Wow…I never knew she did that for you."

Discord said as he picked up the book, "Indeed."

Sunset told the draconequus, "Put that back, Discord. I don't want Starlight to know that there were unwanted guests in her house."

Discord rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, fine, fine. Whatever you say, Sun-" Just then, he "accidentally" dropped the book and caught it with his paw before it fell to the floor. When he caught the book, it was open. "Oh, look. The book's open. Well, looks like we'll have to read it."

Sunset glared at him. She hated it when he was tricky like that.

Discord flipped to the first page of the diary and read aloud while imitating Starlight in a nasal tone, "'Today is my 10th birthday. I am very excited because I know that I was born on the exact day my great-uncle…'" His eyes bulged at that moment and he shouted out in his normal voice, "STAR SWIRL THE BEARDED?!"

The group cried, "What?!"

Sunset gasped, "But…how…? Give me that!" She grabbed the book and looked at the page.

Discord pointed to the phrase and said, "It's right here. See for yourself."

Sunset read aloud, "'…my great-uncle Star Swirl the Bearded defeated the Windigos and the Umbrum.'"

Discord chuckled, "Who knew?"

Sunset said glumly, "I didn't. Starlight never told me anything. She always kept secrets from me."

Spike said as he held a photograph, "And it looks like she kept more from you and the others."

Sunset held the photograph with her magic and saw a filly Starlight with pigtails and a brilliant gamboge unicorn colt with a brilliant and vivid vermillion mane, moderate arctic blue eyes, and light apple greenish gray splotches on his body. They looked like they were running and smiling in an unknown village. What really intrigued Sunset was that Starlight's smile looked genuine.

Apple Jewel asked, "Is that Starlight when she was little?"

Screwball said, "I wonder who the colt is with her."

Discord said, "Well, I say she's got him under her control somehow."

Sunset differed, "No, I don't think so. The look on Starlight's face looks all too…real."

Discord grabbed the book again and said, "Well, let's see what else Gothel Girl has to say." He opened the diary and said as he scanned the page, "Buh, buh, buh, buh…"

He then read aloud, "'…great-uncle Star Swirl the Bearded defeated the Windigos and the Umbrum. He truly is one of the greatest wizards of all time. I'm very lucky he visited me today and gave me this book to write in all I'm learning about magic. But I'm going to use it as a diary, too. You know, my great-uncle doesn't visit very often. Mommy and Daddy tell me he's always busy with his spells and raising two alicorn sisters.

"'That's because before Star Swirl got rid of the Windigos, they created a blizzard that wiped out most of the alicorn race. Celestia and Luna, the two sisters, are the only ones left. Star Swirl says that he treats them only as students, but I hope he adopts them so we can be related. It would be cool to have two alicorn sisters be…what is it, cousins? No, aunts? Maybe second cousins?'"

Snow Pea breathed, "The Windigos took Grandma Tia and Luna's family?"

Apple Jewel said, "That's sad."

Sunset told them, "Yes. The Windigos created a strong enough blizzard to take out _two_ powerful races: the alicorns and the draconequui."

Screwball gasped, "Daddy's family?"

Discord didn't want to be reminded of such pain, so he nonchalantly waved his paw and said, "Yes, yes. I'm the only one left. Boo-hoo-hoo. Now can we get on with Starlight's diary?"

He flipped another page in the diary and read, "'Today was an amazing day! Sunburst and I went out to Rainbow Falls and we got to see the Traders Exchange for the first time. We brought a lot of old stuff to trade and we got a boatload of new stuff. But that's not the important part. I gave my most favorite doll to a filly who had almost nothing to trade but a plastic star that she found on the street. I thought the star was beautiful, but nothing could be more beautiful than seeing the happiness on the filly's face when I gave her my doll. I'm going to miss Mr. Snug-a-Boo, but I know that he'll be in good hooves.'"

Discord remarked, "Huh. I never took her as the giving type."

Sunset herself was quite surprised who Starlight was before kidnapping Sunset. She said, "I…don't understand. Why did she change? What happened to her?"

Discord said, "Well, let's find out."

He flipped the pages rapidly until he found something of interest. He said, "Oh, oh! I think I found something!" He read aloud, "'I can't believe Sunburst is leaving me! He only got his cutie mark yesterday and already he's been asked to attend Star Swirl's School for Gifted Unicorns! Star Swirl's my great uncle, for crying out loud! I'm going to do everything in my power to be a great unicorn like Star Swirl wants me to be! I don't care about friendship now. I'm going to be even greater than Sunburst was.'"

Discord remarked, "Ooh…She had a bit of a competitive streak." He flipped some more pages and then read aloud, "'I did it! I got my cutie mark and got enrolled in my great-uncle's school! Let's see how surprised Sunburst will be when I arrive.'"

He turned another page and read, "'It's been a week since I came to the school. I've been really busy with my studies and something upsetting had happened. When I arrived at Star Swirl's school, he told me that Sunburst had vanished just before I arrived. I have tried everything I could to forget about him, but I…just can't. He was my first and only friend. There's nopony in Equestria like him.'"

He turned a couple more pages and read, "'I can't take it anymore! My great-uncle is not as great as I once thought. He is cold, unfeeling, and doesn't love me at all! He loves _nopony whatsoever_. He's being too rough with me and expects too much from me, all because I'm his relative! How can anypony handle that kind of pressure? I'm leaving tonight, and I'm casting a spell on myself before I go.

"'This spell will keep me forever young so I will never have to grow old like Star Swirl. The last thing I want to be is an old grump like he is.' Huh. Girl was actually being smart."

Spike said, "Wait…I think she was talking about the Spell of Eternal Youth! It's in the Dark Magic wing! I helped Twilight clean there when she was young. Celestia knew that she could be trusted to even go in there. Even though the queen technically trusted _all_ of her daughters, Twilight was the only one who was willing to go in the wing.

"The original keeper of the wing said that a pony broke in there one time to use the Spell of Eternal Youth. He said that the spell was so strong that it affected _two_ ponies: the caster and their true love. He also told us that the only way the spell could be broken was by true love's kiss."

Discord grimaced, "Who in their right mind would want to kiss Starlight Glimmer?"

Sunset said, "Just keep reading."

Discord flipped more pages until he got to one last entry. He read aloud, "'I've been traveling for years now, putting on my magic show everywhere I go. Now I would like to settle down and live a comfortable life. I shall pay contractor ponies to construct a lavish manor for me in the middle of the woods. Just yesterday, I found an abandoned phoenix chick near a waterfall. I decided to name it 'Sunburst' and keep it as a pet. With it by my side, I shall never be alone.'"

All of the royals were shocked to hear this.

Sunset breathed, "So the phoenix my father took…was named 'Sunburst'." She could hardly contain her tears as she said in a broken voice, "I'm so ashamed! That phoenix was her only reminder of the friend she lost."

Discord said as he closed the diary, "Eh, I wouldn't feel too sorry for Starlight. She did, after all, keep you locked up for most of your life."

The tears drained from Sunset's eyes as she said, "I would like to see her before we go. I feel bad for everything she's gone through."

The royals were confused, but followed the unicorn up the stairs.

Back in the Umbrum world, Nightmare Moon appeared before Belladonna.

"Your Highness, I have located the royals. They are at a manor in the middle of a forest."

Belladonna smiled wickedly, "Good. Go out there and bring them to me. I will not be strong enough to travel great distances and I will only be a shadowy mass."

Nightmare Moon bowed and said, "As you wish, princess." In that moment, she turned into a smoky mist and raced out of the Umbrum world and across the icy tundra.

The royals made their way to Starlight's bedroom and Discord lit the fireplace with a snap of his fingers.

Discord said, "Well, there's the sleeping beauty. Now can we leave the room?"

Just then, Sunset noticed something on Discord's tail.

"What's that?"

Discord quickly put the item behind his back and sheepishly chuckled, "What's what?"

"Discord…If you have something, let me see it."

"Oh, fine."

He brought a small gift from behind his back. Sunset took it and read the tag, "'To Sunset Shimmer. Happy birthday.'" She opened her gift and gasped in surprise. It was a tiara with the plastic star fashioned into it.

Spike breathed, "Wow…That _is_ a pretty star."

Discord said, "Well, I suppose that one pony's trash is another pony's treasure." When the box fell unexpectedly, he asked, "Sunset? Sunny? Hello?"

Sunset was too lost in her trance to even hear him. She looked at the tiara with glistening eyes before she collapsed onto the floor, crying.

Snow Pea wrapped a hoof on her aunt and asked, "Aunt Sunny, are you okay?"

Discord shrugged, "Well, I guess while Sunny here is having her breakdown, I'll just look around." He opened the drawer on Starlight's vanity and said, "Oh…My, my, my…" He then pulled out a journal and continued, "What have we here? _Another_ diary? Well, let's take a look at it."

Sunset said in a choked-up voice, "Don't you dare."

Discord tilted the book and the cover flew open. "Oops. Too late." He read from the first page, "'This is my first time writing a parenting journal. _A Guide for Foal and You_ recommended it since I'm going to be raising a filly now. Okay, I technically stole her from the King and Queen of Canterlot, but they took my phoenix Sunburst from me! Why Sunset Shimmer? When I heard Queen Celestia had twins, I wanted to know if either of the twins bore a stark resemblance to a phoenix. After months of observation, I found that Sunset, one of the twins, had coloring similar to a phoenix.'"

Snow Pea asked Sunset, "She took you because you looked a lot like her phoenix?"

Discord said, "Wait, there's more." He read aloud, "'But the more I look at her, she reminds me more of my friend Sunburst and not the phoenix. There's also a connection between the names of the princess and my former friend. Both of them have the word 'sun' in their names. As much as I hate reminders of the past, I am going to make sure I never lose Sunset like I did with both Sunbursts.'"

Spike said, "Oh…Maybe that's why she kept Sunset at the manor for most of her life."

Discord flipped another page and remarked, "Huh. I guess diary entries are not the only thing she has in here. Looks like she kept a list of your favorite things before she took you from the palace." He turned another page and chuckled, "Oh-ho-ho! Look at baby Sunset trying to eat spaghetti." He turned the book towards the royals and showed them a photo of baby Sunset having spaghetti all over herself.

Sunset smiled a little and said, "Yeah, she took some pictures of me when I was little."

Discord skimmed through the book before coming up an interesting entry. He said, "Oh, listen to this!"

He read aloud, "'Today I taught Sunset two important things: never stray from home and never to cry. When I woke up from my nap, Sunset was nowhere to be found. I raced outside and saw her going into the woods. I stopped her and told her to always stay at home. When she was about to cry, I told her that crying was a sign of weakness and she had to always keep her emotions in check. I hope she never runs off like that again.'"

Sunset said, "Wait…I don't remember running off like that except when I came to Canterlot."

"Well, you must've been either really young or Starlight took that memory away."

"Well, if she did take that memory away, I would've remembered by now."

"Okay. Then you must've been very young."

"The only thing I can remember is her telling me that I must never cry."

"Well, getting back to the journal…" Discord flipped several pages before stopping at an entry. He read aloud, "'Sunset's nearing 13 now and is asserting her independence. I don't want her thinking she can leave the manor, so I devised a plan to keep her busy. I've decided to hire some ponies to be my servants. Besides, the chores are not getting done as much as I would like. It's just only Sunset and me and it would help to have more helping hooves around.'"

He turned some more pages and stopped at Starlight's last entry. He said, "Uh-oh. I see smudges on the ink. I hate to admit it, but I think she might have been crying." He read aloud, "'My life is in shatters again! Sunset turned her back on me and found out who she really was: a Canterlot princess!

"'I've not only lost her, but my servants as well! If that wasn't enough, I'm locked up in my own home! I suppose it is a befitting punishment considering what I've done to Sunset. I now spend my days carrying out the chores that were once…'"

Discord squinted his eyes to read the writing that was almost completely smudged. He continued, "…Sunset and the servants' duties. I am now completely alone in this manor. This was never what I wanted. I never wanted to become an old geezer like my great-uncle Star Swirl, but since I have cast the Spell of Eternal Youth on myself, I might as well spend eternity here.'"

Discord skipped over the entirely-smudgy section and read the last sentences of the journal, "'If I could talk to Sunset again, I want to tell her what I've been through so she could understand. I hurt her for my own well-being, but I only pushed her away. I also want to tell her that I never want to be alone again.'"

Sunset was in tears again, and Spike wrapped his arm around her while she dug her head into his chest.

Discord closed the book as he said, "Huh. Who knew Gothel Girl could feel?"

Sunset scolded, "Stop it. She's not a monster. She did it because she wanted to have control over her life. She lost everypony she ever loved. Trust me, being alone is a fate worse than death."

That struck a nerve for Discord because he knew exactly what she meant. If it hadn't been for Fluttershy, he would've still been in stone. And if he hadn't made a friend after the blizzard took his kind, he would've been a complete monster roaming all across Equestria.

He hung his head in shame and said, "All right, point taken. Nopony ever wants to be alone."

The gears in Sunset's head started turning and she remembered something. She gasped, "Alone! Daring Do!"

The other royals asked in confusion, "Daring Do?"

Discord said, "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Are you saying that Daring Do is real?"

Sunset nodded, "Mm-hmm. I met her several months ago. My friends and I rescued her from the evil clutches of Ahuizotl. Since then, we've accompanied her on some of her adventures. Last I've heard from her, she was getting close to finding a lost tribe deep in the jungle. If she's asleep along with every other pony, Ahuizotl might use this chance to find the tribe first and destroy them!"

Discord said, "Well, by all means, let's go!"

Screwball cheered, "Yeah! We're going to kick some cat booty!"

Sunset said, "No, no, no. You are going to stay here with Apple Jewel's father until Discord and I return."

The fillies began to protest, "But-"

Discord wagged his finger and said, "Ah, ah, ah, ah! No ifs, ands, or buts. That's final."

Screwball pouted, "Phooey!"

Sunset said, "We'll be back as soon as we can, okay?"

Discord held Sunset in his arms and told the fillies, "We'll bring back photos."

In a flash, both he and Sunset disappeared into thin air.

 ** _AN: The song Sunset sings is "Bloom" from the film_** **Joseph: King of Dreams.** ** _Did you also get the reference with the Spell of Eternal Youth and who it affects? ;)_**

 ** _There's also a_** **Hey, Arnold!** ** _reference here. Can you find it?_**


	10. Attack of the Dark Forces

Discord and Sunset found themselves in the deep, dark jungle.

Discord shuddered, "I don't like the look of this place."

Sunset told him, "We have to find Daring Do's tent and make sure she's all right." Suddenly, they heard roaring and yowling. She said in a worried tone, "Or we could follow that sound and stop Ahuizotl before it's too late!"

The twosome ran amidst the plants and the trees until they got to a clearing illuminated by the dim moonlight. They saw various jungle cats scouring the campsite and clawing at everything they touched.

Sunset and Discord were hiding in the bushes when a voice said, "Yes! Yes, my pretties! Search everywhere! We must find that map so we can annihilate the Rainbow-Eyed Ponies once and for all!"

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" a female voice shouted.

Ahuizotl's head whipped back and he saw a strange creature with the bothersome pony who had helped Daring Do before. He growled, "You again?!"

Sunset said, "Yes, me again."

Discord said to the mare, "Hey, you stole my line! I demand royalties!"

Ahuizotl asked in a confused manner, "Who is this?"

"Well, I happen to be Discord, Lord of Chaos and Prince of the Everfree Forest."

Ahuizotl then taunted, "The Everfree Forest? I didn't know they had creatures as strange as you." He then laughed at this.

Discord, however, was less than amused. He said, "I believe you messed with the wrong draconequus."

He snapped his finger and a giant anvil crushed Ahuizotl. Ahuizotl's hand weakly emerged from the bottom of the anvil and pointed to the royals.

His muffled voice said, "Get…them…"

The cats then raced toward the twosome, but Discord pulled out a giant spray bottle.

He said as he squirted the bottle, "Bad kitties!"

Though it drove some of the cats away, others were running toward Sunset. She blasted at them with her magic. Unbeknownst to her, a tiger was sneaking up behind her.

Discord noticed this and shouted, "Sunset, behind you!"

Sunset gasped as she saw the tiger lunging at her. She was getting ready to run, but then her hooves and the bracelets began to glow. Before she registered anything, she ran off at super speed! A pattern resembling that of the streaks in her mane tailed her.

Discord and the cats were astonished by this before he remarked, "Wow, Sunset! I didn't know you could do that!"

Sunset shouted as she ran back and forth the clearing and the surrounding trees, "DISCOOOORRD! MAKE THIS STOOOOPPP!"

"You have to pull the brakes yourself, Sunny! The bracelets are too powerful for me!"

Sunset mustered every bit of her strength to stop and skidded right into a pack of cats. She stayed standing while the cats flew into the air.

Discord said, "That was great, Sunny!" He then hinted with a sly look on his face, "Think you can do other things with the _Earth_ Bracelets?"

Sunset got the message and nodded with a clever smile. She raised her front hooves and stomped them. The ground trembled as waves of jagged rocks emerged from the surface. The cats ran from the rows of rocks and into the jungle.

Ahuizotl growled, "Insolent fools! I've had enough of this mockery!" Just then, he saw something disturbing. He whimpered and then followed his henchcats into the brush.

Discord chortled, "Looks to me you're only mocking yourself."

Just then, a deep voice said behind Sunset and Discord, "And _you_ only mock yourselves by claiming yourselves as the victors."

The twosome froze and then looked behind them to see…the Umbrum!

Discord muttered, "Uh-oh."

Sunset activated her horn, but the alpha of the Umbrum band snickered, "Foolish, unknowing, innocent unicorn, doing that will only make things worse. All we want are the bracelets…and the filly with the tiara."

She shouted, "Never!"

Discord then came up with an idea. He put his paw and claw up in surrender and said calmly, "All right, fine. You can have the bracelets…"

He then picked Sunset up as she said, "Discord, what are you…?"

He then smirked devilishly, "…if you can catch her first." He then whispered in her ear, "Run like hay."

Discord said as he threw Sunset like a football, "GO LONG!"

Sunset screamed as she flew a long distance over the clearing and the trees that lined it. She fell into the brush and grabbed ahold of the vines so she could descend to the ground safely. When she touched the ground, she could hear the Umbrum closing in on her.

She thought to herself, _Okay, Sunny. You need to harness control over the bracelets. Just concentrate…Concentrate…_

Before she knew it, she was running at super speed again! This time, though, she was constantly running into plants and dodging trees.

She thought with regret as she lit up her horn, _I'm sorry to do this, but this is an emergency._

Sunset blasted a ray of magic to clear the plants and trees in her way. She kept blasting her magic as if she was a bulldozer.

She thought, _Oh, I can't destroy the jungle. I need to find a clearing._

She then saw an area that was free of the jungle. Even though she knew that it would leave her out in the open, the jungle needed to be protected. She took a chance and raced out into the clearing. She used all of her strength to control the bracelets and skidded across the barren plain before completely stopping. She looked all around the rocky environment. With the night sky taking on a slight shade of green and the shadow on the moon becoming ever larger, she could hardly see the clearing surrounding her…or the Umbrum emerging from the brush.

Once again, Sunset stomped the ground and waves of rocks raced toward the Umbrum. Some were fazed by this, but many others still continued forward. Sunset sought to try another move. She thought quickly before coming up with something. She turned her backside to the Umbrum and kicked rocks at them at lightning speed! It worked for a while, but the Umbrum still advanced towards her.

Getting desperate, Sunset began running at super speed again. This time, she circled the Umbrum so fast that a cloud of dust surrounded the shadow ponies. The unicorn thought it was working until…

 _"_ _ENOOUGHHH!"_

Sunset was blasted onto the ground by the tremendous yell. She saw the Umbrum slowly moving towards her and was ready to accept her fate. Suddenly, a gas mask flashed onto her face. The Umbrum looked at each other in confusion and then saw a metallic ball rolling under them.

 _PA-WHOOF!_

The light pink dust enveloped the Umbrum and the shadow ponies collapsed onto the ground. Sunset saw all of this and a familiar creature emerging from the dust.

Discord, who also had a gas mask on, said, "My special edition Dream Dust works every time. That should keep the troublesome buggers out of our way for a while."

Sunset smiled behind her mask and said, "Thanks, Discord."

After the sleeping Umbrum were tied up, Sunset encased them in a huge block of crystal. She then saw a shadow move over them and gaped when she looked up to see a giant pile of rocks!

"Discord, are you sure that's necessary?"

Discord grunted as he held the rocks, "Trust me…dear Sunset…This…is for good…measure!" He then dumped the rocks on the crystal while Sunset stepped back. He wiped his forehead as he leaned against the rocks. He panted, "Whew! Why am I getting stuck with all the grunt work now?"

Just then, they heard a voice shouting, "Emergency! Emergency!"

Discord pulled out the hoofheld mirror and asked, "What's the matter, Pip? Are there more Umbrum on the way?"

Pip answered, "No, but something far worse. Nightmare Moon is at the manor right now!"

Sunset and Discord gasped and said to each other, "Spike and the fillies!"

Discord said to Pip, "Thanks for the heads-up, Pip." After he put the mirror away, he scowled, "Nopony harms my Screwy!"

He was about to teleport Sunset and himself before the unicorn cried, "Wait! What about the jungle? I used my magic to clear the way when I was super-running. Can you restore it?"

Discord asked, "Now why would you want to do that?" He then conjured up a map of the jungle, but with the damage Sunset left. "I think it could make a great work of art."

"Discord…"

"Oh, fine. Whatever."

He restored the jungle with a snap of his claw and then teleported both him and Sunset to the manor.

Snow Pea got a sudden chill throughout her body. She shivered, "Ooh!"

Apple Jewel asked, "What is it? Have the Umbrum come back?"

Screwball rubbed her ear and said, "Funny. I don't hear them."

Spike went out to check the window and gasped. He told the fillies, "Girls, get downstairs now."

Snow Pea asked, "Is it the Umbrum?"

Spike shook his head, "No. It's Nightmare Moon." He then spoke to a mirror, "Pip, tell Discord and Sunset that Nightmare Moon's here."

Pip saluted, "Will do." He then vanished.

Spike ushered the girls to the kitchen, "Get to the secret room, quickly!"

Meanwhile, Nightmare Moon hovered over the force field that surrounded the manor. She said with a wicked smile, "How quaint. A force field. Twilight's magic may be strong, but it is not as strong as mine!" She then blasted a ray of magic at the force field and completely shattered it.

When the fillies heard that sound, they shrieked.

Spike breathed, "Oh, no…" He then told the girls, "It's going to be okay, girls. I promise." He then pulled down the stone pony's head and the stairs appeared once again. He said, "Go, go, go!"

Nightmare Moon used her magic to slam open the door and stepped inside the manor. She said in a faux sweet tone, "Where are you, royals? Come out and play."

She was surprised when she heard a male voice say, "Oh, we'll play, all right. Play _rough_!"

She looked behind her and saw Discord and Sunset scowling at her.

Sunset warned her, "Don't you _dare_ harm the girls!"

Nightmare Moon put a hoof to her chest and said, "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. After all, I'm just after the bracelets you're wearing and the tiara the little princess is wearing. Why don't both you and the filly give yourselves up? Then no harm will come to you and yours."

Discord scoffed, "That's the biggest lie I've ever heard. I should know. I've made up more lies than that, but none were as big as that giant head of yours!"

Nightmare Moon took offense at that, but soon calmed down as soon as she thought of something. She suggested, "How about a duel, then?"

Both Sunset and Discord asked, "A duel?"

"Yes. Between the Lord of Chaos and yours truly. Animal transfiguration. We keep transforming until one bests the other. You win, I shall retreat back to the Frozen North. _I_ win, I shall take both the mare and the filly."

Discord knew from his own villainy and others' that a deal with a villain was never honorable. Still, he couldn't risk letting Nightmare Moon spirit away Sunset and Snow Pea.

He sighed, "You've got yourself a deal."

Nightmare Moon smiled wickedly and then said, "Shall we step outside, then?"

Sunset followed the two magical beings down the steps as Spike and the fillies watched from the kitchen window. Nightmare Moon and Discord kept a considerable distance from one another and faced each other.

The dark alicorn told Discord, "Now shall you deal with me, Discord, and all the powers of darkness!"

Discord wagged his finger and said, " _Au contraire_ , Nightmare Moon, it is _me_ you shall deal with and all the powers of chaos!" He gave a sinister laugh for emphasis.

Sunset was not amused with this and told Discord bluntly, "That is a horrible evil laugh."

Discord whispered to his sister-in-law, "It's for emphasis, Sunset dear." He turned to see that Nightmare Moon disappeared. He looked all around him as he asked, "Where did she go?"

Just then, a manticore jumped out from the forest and roared at him. Spike and the girls screamed, but Discord recognized the purple splotches on the creature's behind.

Discord rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, come on, Moony. The manticore is old-school. Have you tried considering…" He then transformed into a mighty creature of enormous height. "…a dragon?" He then breathed fire at her, but she dodged it.

Spike commented, "Hey! I could have done that!"

She said in her sly voice, "A dragon is a creature of great strength, but bigger does not necessarily mean better." She then transformed into a swarm of parasprites and circled around Discord's head.

He swatted at them as he cried, "Go away! Pfft! Pfft! Off with you! Shoo, fly! Don't bother me!"

He then began to shrink as he admitted, "Okay, okay! I surrender! No more! Please spare me! Uncle, uncle!"

Suddenly, the parasprites were blinded by a flash of light. When they regained their eyesight, they were sprayed by an odious stench. Discord, who had turned himself into a skunk, said, "Ha! Who has the upper hoof now?"

"I do!"

Discord looked back and gasped when he saw that Nightmare Moon had now turned into…a bear! He said as he ran, "I'm off!"

Nightmare Moon said as he chased him, "Come back, you dirty coward!"

Discord disappeared into the woods and emerged only seconds later as a lion! He roared at her, but it didn't even faze the bear. They circled each other until Nightmare Moon lunged at Discord. He saw this as an opportunity to pounce on her back and clawed at her shoulders. Nightmare Moon stood upright as she clawed Discord.

He then thought, _If I can't use my brawn, I might as well use my brain!_

He wrapped his arms over her eyes and said "Peek-a-boo!"

Nightmare Moon tried to claw them off as she stumbled, but Discord held on until she fell to the ground. Luckily, she fell face-first, thus allowing the Lord of Chaos to return to his normal form and pin her to the ground.

Discord smirked, "I think I got you beat."

The bear grunted, "I disagree." Her body then dissolved into blue mist.

Discord was confused and said, "Um, I don't think that's an ani-"

But before he could finish his sentence, the blue mist wrapped itself tightly around his eyes. He cried as he tried to loosen its grip on him, "What - Hey! Get – yourself – off – my – face!"

Suddenly, images flashed before his eyes. He realized that he was home in the Everfree Castle. He then saw his beloved daughter in front of him with her back turned.

He rushed to meet her and said, "Screwy? What are you doing here?"

Screwball saw him and screamed. It scared the living daylights out of Discord and he fell down in surprise.

He put his paw of his chest and said, "Geez, Screwy! Don't ever do that again!"

Screwy ran down the hall with tears in her eyes and sobbed, "Help! There's a monster after me!"

This shocked and disheartened Discord at the same time. He tried calling out to her, "Screwy, it's me! It's your daddy!"

Moments later, an angry Fluttershy emerged with a crying Screwball wrapped in her hooves. She scolded Discord, "Now look what you did! You made Screwball cry!"

Discord was stunned and saddened as he said, "But I…I didn't do anything wrong."

Fluttershy said in a nasty tone, "Oh, really? Then I suppose wreaking chaos all across Equestria doesn't count?"

Discord breathed, "Wreaking chaos?"

"Look at yourself, _Discord._ You're just a jumble of animal parts and nothing like the rest of us." Discord could hardly believe what he was hearing. He fell to his knees as she continued, "You're the Master of Chaos and that's all you'll ever be. You bring nothing but sorrow and confusion wherever you go. I never should have freed you from your stone prison in the first place!"

It broke Discord's heart to hear that. Tears threatened to escape his eyes and he pulled on his ears and pleaded, "Please, Fluttershy! Please! Don't say any more!"

"Oh. Let me _shout_ it, then. WE NEVER LOVED YOU!" Fluttershy took her daughter down the hall and away from Discord.

Tears leaked out of his eyes and Discord begged in a whispery tone, "No. No! Fluttershy, don't leave me! Take back everything you said! All of it! Flutters…Screwy…" He then collapsed into sobs as he continued, "…Please come back. Please!"

He was so lost in his despair that he almost didn't hear a voice calling, "Discord! Discord, she's trying to break you! Don't let her!"

Discord sobbed, "I'm afraid she already has. She's gone and it's all my fault!"

"Discord! Nightmare Moon is trying to mess with you! You can defeat her!"

Just then, he heard another voice shouting, "Discord!"

This voice sounded closer to him, so he turned to see Celestia all glowing with rage.

Celestia said in an outraged tone, "You have troubled this family for the last time! Now you must face the consequences and be turned back to stone!"

Discord gasped and pleaded, "No, Celestia, please! I'm begging you! I can't go back to being stone! Please don't turn me back to stone!"

Suddenly, the mysterious voice called out again, "Discord, Nightmare Moon is doing this! She is making you experience your worst fears!"

It was at that moment Discord realized it. It wasn't real. It was just an illusion. A frightening illusion.

Within seconds, all of the helplessness and despair Discord had felt earlier transformed into a burning rage and newfound courage. His eyes then glowed as Celestia activated her horn.

The alicorn said, "Good-bye, Discord."

"Good-bye, Nightmare Moon!" He then shot eyebeams at the illusion of Celestia.

The mist screamed as it was shot back by Discord's eyebeams. The blue smoke then transformed back into Nightmare Moon, who flew in midair.

Discord, now entirely angry, shouted, "That's it! All bets are off!"

He shot a ray of yellow magic from both of his hands while Nightmare Moon countered it with her magic. Both rays of magic pushed at one another and drew closer to the other user for a bit. It was a stalemate until…

 _SPLAT!_

Nightmare Moon lost concentration when she got hit by a crème pie. When she wiped the cream from her eyes, she demanded, " ** _WHO THREW THE-?!_** "

But her sentence trailed off as she saw Discord with a box. He smirked, "Say good-night, Nightmare Moon."

 _WHACK!_

Discord put an unconscious Nightmare Moon in a catapult facing the north.

Sunset commended, "Well, I got to hand it to you. That glove-in-the-box was a smart move."

Discord smirked at his daughter as he said, "Well, I wouldn't have done it if Screwy hadn't thrown that pie at her."

Screwy raised her head proudly and said, "All for my daddy."

Discord embraced his daughter and rubbed her head as he said, "Yes. I'm glad you did. When Nightmare Moon had me under her spell, I was convinced that I lost you and your mommy."

Screwy asked with distress, "Were we…?"

Her father chuckled, "No, no. Nothing like that. But you two hated me. Well, your mother hated me and you were scared of me."

Screwy hugged Discord tightly and said, "Oh, Daddy! I could _never_ be scared of you!"

He stroked her mane and said, "I know, my little atrocity. I know."

Spike interrupted, "Um…Aren't we supposed to launch Nightmare Moon now?"

Discord scowled at Spike and said, "Hey, we're trying to have a family moment here! Do you mind?"

After he nuzzled his daughter for a few more moments, he put her down and said, "There. Now we can get on to business."

Apple Jewel said, "Wait! Aren't we technically launching Aunt Luna?"

Discord said, "I'll check." He then pulled one of Nightmare Moon's eyelids and called, "Yoo-hoo! Lulu! Come out, come out wherever you are!" He then shrugged, "Huh. She must be sleeping."

Sunset asked dubiously, "How can you be sure?"

"Because if we try to imprison her and bring her with us…Yeah, I can see some pretty dire consequences here."

Snow Pea said, "But maybe we can ask someone to help us."

Sunset wrapped her hoof around her niece and said, "We'll ask, Snowy. We'll ask."

Discord said as he reached for the lever, "Right, right. Now can we catapult Moony before anything else happens?"

Screwball said, "But…she will be safe, right? Because if she _is_ Nightmare Moon, there's still a bit of Luna in her, right?"

He grunted as he was pulling on the lever, "Well, yes, technically. But I'm sure Ol' Lulu can take care of herself." He added in a low voice, "Quite frankly, I'm not even sure how _we_ can survive with Nightmare Moon on our tails." He pushed the lever down and said, "How far should it be?"

Sunset motioned her hoof down as she said, "Maybe a little more down."

"All right." Once he pushed the lever lower, he put his lizard leg on the pedal and said, "One…two…three!" With a stomp of his foot, Nightmare Moon went flying into the air until she was out of sight. "Phew! Thank goodness we don't have to worry about that skunk stench anymore."

They all laughed at that.

 ** _AN: Bonus! CartoonNerd12 suggested the dialogue amongst the royals when they're about to catapult Nightmare Moon. If the duel between Discord and Nightmare Moon is familiar, that's because I took inspiration from the wizard duel in_** **The Sword in the Stone.**


	11. The Griffonstone Council

As soon as they left the manor exactly as it should've been, Discord whisked the group to the entryway to Griffonstone.

Discord said, "Well, here we are, gang!"

Apple Jewel exclaimed, "Look! The night sky's getting brighter!"

"I believe that's the altitude, dear."

Suddenly, a group of griffons landed in front of them and pointed spears at them.

"Whoa!" the royals cried.

Spike said, "Um…Hi. We come in peace and we mean you no harm."

Discord face-palmed as he thought sarcastically, _Brilliant job, Spike. You really outdid yourself._

Just then, a female griffon flew down and remarked, "Boy, if that isn't the lamest thing I ever heard."

Discord agreed, "You and me both, sister." Spike glared at him.

"Don't call me that." The griffon removed her helmet and revealed her white head with purple-tipped feathers as hair. "Name's Gilda, Captain of the Griffonstone Guard. Who are you trespassers?"

Discord said, "Allow me to do the speaking." He cleared his throat and said, "We are royalty. We grace your humble grounds to speak to your well-respected elders."

Gilda scoffed, "If you're looking for special attention, don't come to us."

Spike murmured, "Boy. She's a lot gruffer than Rainbow Dash said she was."

The Pegasus's name reached Gilda's ears and she said, "'Rainbow Dash'? You know Rainbow Dash?"

Discord clarified, "Well, yes. We're her brothers-in-law, these are her nieces, and this is her sister."

"I didn't know she had another sister."

Sunset explained, "I was kidnapped on my first birthday. The pony responsible took my family's memories away so they wouldn't remember."

Gilda said in awe, "There's just so much that's happened since I last saw her and Pinkie Pie."

Apple Jewel asked, "Wait, you know Aunt Pinkie Pie?"

"Well, duh! She tagged along when Rainbow Dash and I saw each other again."

Snow Pea asked, "How exactly did you meet Aunt Rainbow Dash?"

The griffon explained, "Well, she and I went to flight camp together. She and I are best pals."

One of the griffon guards asked, "Um, excuse me? Shouldn't we ask why they're here?"

Sunset explained, "A sleeping curse has taken hold on Equestria. It's affected every pony except Snow Pea and me. That's because we're wearing powerful jewelry that keep us from being affected."

Gilda put a claw to her chin and said, "Powerful jewelry, huh?" She then eyed the royals suspiciously and asked, "Did you even _know_ that a sleeping curse was coming?"

Sunset said, "Okay, long story short: we didn't know that a curse was going to hit. We didn't even know what the jewelry was before they got stuck on us. After the curse hit, we found out they were pieces of Elemental Jewelry. We came to Griffonstone for the Air Vest. It's one of two pieces that are missing. We can't let Belladonna or the sirens get ahold of either piece. That's why we need to find the Air Vest and the Water Necklace and fast."

Gilda contemplated this and then said, "Belladonna and the sirens, huh? That's a new one."

Screwball asked dejectedly, "You don't believe us?"

"Tell you what? We'll take you to Grampa Gruff. He was there when the Air Vest was made."

As they walked through the village, the royals saw how desolate Griffonstone had become.

Sunset quietly remarked, "Wow. This isn't anything like the illustrations in the books at all."

Snow Pea asked, "Excuse me, Miss Gilda? What happened to Griffonstone?"

A voice then startled them, shouting, "I'll tell ye what happened!"

The group turned to see an elderly griffin emerge from a second-floor window. He lunged out as he said, "It all started – Oof!" He landed on the ground unceremoniously.

Discord whispered to Gilda as he pointed to Grampa Gruff, "Is this really him?"

Gilda sighed, "Yep. That's him, all right."

Two griffon guards helped Gruff up, but he shooed them away as soon as he stood up. He continued, "I'll tell ye the whole tragic tale…" He then giggled, "…for a couple of bits."

Sunset gave him the bits and said, "So, do you know anything about the Air Vest?"

Gruff said in confusion, "I thought ye wanted me to tell ye about Griffonstone's destruction. Oh, well. I suppose the stories are connected. Ye see, long, long ago, Equestria was in great peril."

Discord interrupted, "Yes, yes. We know about the creation of the Elemental Jewelry, the defeat of the Windigos and Umbrum, yada, yada, yada. What _is_ new?"

Gruff glared at him before he held out his claw again. Sunset sighed in an irritated way and gave the griffon two more bits.

The elderly griffon gave a satisfied grin and then said, "After Equestria was saved from the Umbrum and Windigos, the griffons put the Air Vest in a secret hiding place. A decade or so afterwards, however, our impetuous King Guto wanted to restore the glory of Griffonstone after Arimaspi stole the Idol of Boreas. When he learned about the Air Vest, he turned to me to help find it again. Ye see, I was a strapping young griffon when the Air Vest was made, so the location of its hiding place rested on me. At the king's insistence, I led him to the secret location and he wore the Air Vest. He raised the morale of the fellow griffons and led them into battle."

Screwball asked, "But why would Guto fight against the ponies of Equestria? They needed Star Swirl to defeat the Umbrum and Windigos."

"It was like I told ye. Guto was young, foolish, and in love…with pride. Yes, King Guto was much beloved…until one fateful battle. Aye, twas the same battle that took me eye!" When he pointed to his dead eye, the fillies cringed. The grown-ups glared at the old coot for scaring the kids.

Sunset asked, "Uh, the Air Vest?"

Gruff nodded, "Yes, yes, yes. I'm getting to it, all right?" He cleared his throat and continued, "We were battling in the Badlands. We held our offense until… _it_ came. The Tatzlwurm appeared out of nowhere and grabbed our beloved king. Before it was able to swallow him, Guto took off the vest and flew out of the beast's grasp. When we retreated that day, we left behind two important things: the vest…and our pride. Guto left no heirs and so all authority in Griffonstone falls on the council. I myself am a part of the council since I was there when the Air Vest was made. Tell me, what brings you all to our fair village?"

Sunset said, "We need your help. There are enemies out there who want the Air Vest and the Water Necklace. They're the ones who cast a sleeping curse on all of Equestria. It's only affected ponies, but my niece and I are immune because we're wearing the Fire Tiara and the Earth Bracelets. We didn't know they were the real things or even if there was going to be a curse. We need to get to the other two pieces before Belladonna and the sirens do."

"Hmm…Big Bongo has the Air Vest now."

The royals asked, "'Big Bongo'?"

"The Tatzlwurm, of course."

Discord crossed his arms and said, "Oh, wonderful. It has a name?"

"Yes. It's not like other Tatzlwurms, ye see. It has a mane like a lion's and the beast is so huge, it could topple down buildings with one fall."

Discord waved his hands in mock terror and said sarcastically, "Ooh! He sounds terrifying!"

Gruff said, "Look, do ye want to find the Air Vest or not?"

Sunset nodded, "Yes, we do."

Spike apologized, "We're sorry that Discord's acting this way. He got sick by a Tatzlwurm a couple of days ago."

Gruff said interestingly, "I see. Was this Tatzlwurm anything like Big Bongo?"

Discord replied, "None of the above."

"Well, all the same, we'll take ye to the council. I'm sure they'd be pleased to meet you all."

They went into a large building and saw a round table with several griffons seated around it.

"So you are royals from Canterlot?" asked Guffin, the head of the council.

"We just sent a delegate out recently!" squawked Gawain.

"But His Highness Prince Discord can teleport anywhere he likes. He can get here faster than our delegate," Gemma said. Discord liked the sound of "His Highness".

"But how do we know to trust them? They wear two pieces of the Elemental Jewelry," Grimm pointed out.

Sunset bowed before the council as she said, "Wise elders, we did not know about anything until after the sleeping curse hit. There's an Umbrum princess out there named Belladonna. She's willing to get to the Air Vest and Water Necklace at all costs. Please help us in any way you can."

The griffons stood silent for a moment before Guffin declared, "We shall discuss this amongst ourselves. Please wait outside."

The royals nodded and complied.

Outside, Sunset paced while Spike and Discord were playing a card game.

Snow Pea asked Sunset, "Aunt Sunny, should we trust them?"

Discord answered, "Griffons love anything that glitters. If they do anything, they do it for the gold."

Sunset countered, "That's not exactly true. There are myths that dragons are greedy, but Spike, Firestone, and the other dragons we met seem nice enough. Besides, I've heard of a few noble griffons from legends."

"Oh? And who might they be, pray tell?"

"Well, there's Gump the Brave…"

While Sunset was talking, Snow Pea peeked up the table her uncles were sitting at. She saw that the king cards had her grandpapa and father on them and the joker cards had pictures of Cheese Sandwich and Pinkie Pie. When she glanced over to the queen card in Discord's hand, she saw a picture of Aunt Twilight and…

"Hey, this has a picture of Mom on it!" the filly pointed out.

Discord said as he put down his cards, "Which reminds me…Royal flush!"

Spike crossed his arms and said, "Aw, man!" When he noticed that Screwball and Apple Jewel were dozing off again, he said, "Uh-oh. I think it's sleepy time."

Discord said, "'Sleepy time'?" He conjured up a watch and said, "But it's only an hour and a half before dinner. Well, I guess this calls for an energy-boosting drink." He poured the potion into two cups and gave them to the drowsy fillies.

When the girls' energy was restored, Screwball said, "Thanks, Daddy."

Apple Jewel whined, "I don't like this trip anymore. It's getting to be too much for me."

Screwball nodded, "I agree. I wish it was all over soon."

Snow Pea nodded with glistening eyes, "I wish the rest of our family was here."

Sunset embraced the fillies and comforted them, "I know this is tough for you, but we have pull through for them."

Apple Jewel sighed, "I don't know what I'd do without my mommy."

Screwy agreed, "Or mine."

Snow Pea said, "Or my parents and sister."

Apple Jewel then sang, _"Always there to warm you in the winter…"_

Screwy sang, _"Always there with shelter from the rain…"_

Snow Pea sang, _"Always there to catch you when you're falling…"_

All three of them sang, _"Always there to stand you up again…Family…"_

Sunset joined in, _"By your side in seconds if you ask it…"_

Screwball then sang, _"Arms out wide to welcome you to stay…"_

Snow Pea sang, _"Near enough to listen to your heart song…"_

Sunset sang, _"Always there to help you on your way…Family…"_

Apple Jewel sang, _"Family…"_

Screwball and Snow Pea both sang, _"Family…"_

Discord sang, _"What is a family?"_

Spike sang, _"Caring and devoted hearts…"_

Sunset sang, _"With endless love to share…"_

The grown-ups all sang, _"Love that will follow you everywhere…"_

Snow Pea sang, _"Always there to welcome you in winter…"_

Discord sang, _"What is a family?"_

Spike sang, _"Arms out wide to welcome you to stay…"_

Sunset sang, _"Right by your side…"_

Apple Jewel sang, _"Near enough…"_

Sunset and Jewel both sang, _"To listen to your heart song…"_

Spike sang, _"Always there to help you on your way…Family…"_

Snow Pea sang, _"Always there…"_

Screwy sang, _"Family…"_

Discord sang, _"Family…"_

All six sang together, _"Family…"_

Gilda then came out of the building and said, "Hey. Nice set of pipes. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that the council agreed to help you find the Air Vest. But they wanted a couple of griffons to accompany you, so Grampa Gruff, Greta, and I volunteered."

Spike smiled, "Well, that's great!"

"But you'll need to do something for us." The griffon then flashed a sly grin.

 ** _AN: The song the royals sing is "Always There" from_** **Lady and the Tramp 2: Scamp's Adventure.**


	12. A Difficult Task

"You want me to do WHAT?!" Discord cried.

The royals and griffons were now at the Badlands, which was creepier than Discord remembered. He thought that this was on account of the night sky growing ever darker and the shadow continuing to grow slowly.

Grampa Gruff explained, "Hunt for Big Bongo. Ye see, the way we griffons did it, we would lure a Tatzlwurm out into the open and then catch it with a net. You, however, are the Master of Chaos, so you'll only need this plunger." He then tossed a plunger to Discord.

The draconequus was confused by this, but he was absolutely certain of one thing. He shook his head as he said, "No, thank you. I've had my fill of Tatzlwurms. And I don't do plumbing jobs."

This irked Gilda, but then she had an idea. She teased Discord, "Hey, Discord! What are you, a chicken?"

This ticked Discord off and he said, "Chicken?" He flew up to Gilda's face and shouted, "Chicken?! How dare you call the Lord of Chaos a chicken! You're the chicken! Well, all right, you're only _part_ chicken, but still! I'll show you who's chicken!" He turned to Grampa Gruff and said, "I'll do it."

Gruff smiled, "Great!" He tied a rope around Discord's waist and wings as he said, "When ye pull on this rope, we'll pull you up."

Discord looked up at the rod holding the rope at the edge of the floating platform they were on. He stroked his goatee and squinted his eyes as he whispered, "Why does that look suspiciously familiar?"

After jumping off the platform and onto the ground, Discord began walking with plunger in hand while the platform slowly followed behind him.

They searched for a whole hour before Discord said, "I'm starving. Couldn't I take a quick snack break?" Before the others could answer, he said, "Really? Thank you." He then conjured up a sandwich and floated while he ate. Discord was about to take another bite when the ground rumbled.

Screwball remarked, "I think the ground's hungry, too, Dad."

Snow Pea then saw a cloud of dust and cried as she pointed to the spot, "No, look! Over there!"

The others looked in that direction and saw the same thing Snowy did.

Gruff said, "Ooh, we must be getting close to Big Bongo! Only he could make a dust cloud like that!" He then told Discord, "A little more, Your Highness." He then chuckled, "A little more."

Discord groaned as he made his sandwich vanish and resumed walking.

Gruff turned to Spike and said, "Ye know, we griffons really appreciate this." He then moaned while he straightened out his back, "Ooh…I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."

The dragon then said as he pointed to Discord, "You know Discord. He'll get things done lickety-split."

"Oh." He then chuckled, "I'm sure, I'm sure. Your pal there will really attract Big Bongo."

Apple Jewel asked, "Really? Why?"

Gruff answered, "Well, he's been around one Tatzlwurm. Who's to say that others won't flock towards him?"

Spike's eyes shrank as he realized, "Wait, Discord's not the hunter. He's the bait!"

The griffon shrugged, "Well, hunter, bait. It's really all the same."

Sunset scowled, "No, it's not!" Just then, the ground shook more violently. She shouted to Discord, "Discord, you better get back here, right now!"

As jags of rocks began emerging in zigzags toward Discord, Screwball asked worriedly, "Dad, what is it?"

Spike shouted, "Buddy, run! You're the bait! Run, Discord! He's gonna eat you!"

Discord's eyes shrank and his ears drooped in shock as he said, "Oh, poo…"

Sunset shouted again, "Discord, what are you doing?! Get back here right now!"

Just then, black tentacles shot out of the new ridge near Discord. They wrapped around him before he had time to think.

Discord grunted, "Let go of me, you subterranean worm!" In an instant, the tentacles pulled Discord underground.

Screwball shrieked, "DAD!"

At that moment, the rope on the rod was being pulled by the Tatzlwurm underground.

Grampa Gruff cried, "Don't lose the beast!"

Gilda grabbed hold of the remaining rope and pulled on it when it was being pulled from her. "I need help!" she cried.

Greta then came and helped her pull on the rope. Then others followed suit and began pulling with all their might. They managed to keep the Tatzlwurm from getting away for a while.

Gilda looked up the rope and gasped, "Oh, no! The rope's breaking!"

Screwball said, "But we have to save Dad!"

Suddenly, a giant Tatzlwurm erupted from the ground and spit out Discord in the process.

Grampa Gruff screeched with delight as he jumped up and down, "Look! It's Big Bongo! I knew it was him! I knew it!"

Screwball also jumped with joy as she cheered, "I see Dad! He's okay!"

As soon as he regained his senses, Discord held out the plunger and muttered, "Well, I guess the plunger came in handy after all."

Sunset shouted, "Snow Pea, now!"

Though Snow Pea was afraid, she fired her magic at the Tatzlwurm. Her fear was enough to encase the gigantic beast in a block of ice. Snow Pea, who had covered her eyes the entire time, looked up and saw that she did it.

Her face broke into a smile and said, "I did it, Aunt Sunny! I did it!"

Sunset walked towards the frozen Tatzlwurm and said, "Now let's take care of business."

She raised her front hooves and stomped the ground enough to shatter the ice completely. Big Bongo was dazed from the freeze, so Screwball took this to advantage.

She looked into the eyes of the creature and said while hypnotizing him, "You will give us the Air Vest…the same one you took from King Guto. Yes…It's a black, shiny vest…You will give us the vest and then leave us be…"

As soon as Screwball got off the Tatzlwurm, Big Bongo complied with Screwy's orders and retreated back underground.

Discord said to his daughter, "Uh, Screwball dearest? I think you need to work on your magic more."

Screwy smirked back to her dad and said, "Just wait, Daddy. Three…two…one…" At that moment, the Air Vest shot out of the hole and into the air.

Discord popped into a baseball uniform and carried a huge mitt. He said, "It's the bottom of the ninth. Big Bongo just did a huge swing. Is the ball heading this way? No, this way? Oh, oh, oh! I think it's heading…" Before he could finish his sentence, the Air Vest landed on the mitt with such force that Discord cried, "Oof!"

Screwball jumped up and down and cheered, "And Daddy Discord catches it!"

Gruff interrupted, "All right, all right. Break it up, break it up. Are ye going to take the vest or not?"

Sunset said, "Yes, yes, we will. We want to thank you for helping us. As soon as the curse is broken and everything's back to normal, we will help the citizens of Griffonstone and the griffon race reclaim their glory."

Gilda said, "I couldn't have asked for a better reward. Er, you _will_ follow through on your promise, right?"

Discord said, "Of course." He then crossed his heart as he said, "We're royals of our word."

"Right. And don't you forget it."

Sunset said, "Of course not. You'll be remembered for this great deed."

Gruff said, "Oh, I'll definitely remember this as a story to tell."

Gilda told Gruff, "And we were there with you." She then turned to the royals and bowed her head while saying, "Good luck on your quest. Just make sure everything's going to turn out all right."

Spike said, "We promise."

At the Frozen North, Nightmare Moon was just waking up when she saw three shadows creep over her.

Adagio asked, "Back so soon, Your Highness? Where are the princesses?"

Nightmare Moon snarled as she stood up, "They were no match for me. The magic was too strong."

Aria sarcastically said, "I'm sure Belladonna will be _happy_ to hear that."

Sonata sniffed and then plugged her nose while saying, "But I don't think she'll be happy to _smell_ you. What did you do? Run into a skunk?"

Nightmare Moon glared at her and warned, "I would advise against making such comments about me." She then turned to the other two sirens and said, "And that goes for you both as well. If Belladonna wishes to see me, I will tell her myself." She then walked towards the crystal and entered the portal.

Sonata then said, "Does she seem crankier to you?" When the other sirens glared at her, she nervously tittered, "Never mind."

After getting a much-needed bath, Nightmare Moon then reported to Belladonna.

The Umbrum princess said, "I take it you have not succeeded in your mission."

Though ashamed to admit it, Nightmare Moon answered, "I was unable to retrieve either princess. And I'm certain that they have moved again."

Belladonna sighed agitatedly, "I suppose our best solution would be to wait until the princesses come to us. Or however close they'll come. The farthest I can travel in shadow form is the Crystal Empire. Once the princesses get closer to the Frozen North, I shall make my move and ambush them."

NMM asked, "Are you sure this is a wise plan?"

Belladonna shrugged, "Well, if I don't capture them, I will have at least intimidated them. They will soon see that I am a force to be reckoned with."

 ** _AN: The scene involving hunting for Big Bongo is a total_** **Star Wars Rebels** ** _reference, including the name! Bonus: CartoonNerd12 made some suggestions that really polished this chapter._**


	13. Return to Marendelle

Discord flashed the royals to the island of Marendelle, which was now quiet and foreboding at the same time. Snow Pea had been out at night before, but now without a single trace of activity, it creeped her out a bit. When the royals walked down the majestic halls of the palace, the entire castle was dark and gave off an eerie air.

Spike cringed, "Eesh. Reminds me of the time Discord, the guys, and I went into the Everfree Castle when it was still wrecked."

Discord agreed, "No duh." He snapped his fingers and immediately, all of the lights became lit.

Snow Pea sighed, "That's much better. Thank you, Uncle Discord."

Sunset looked around in awe and said, "Oh, wow. This is a beautiful place you live in, Snow Pea. I'd say you're pretty lucky, kid."

Snow Pea then hung her head and said, "I wouldn't know about that."

Sunset then remembered and said, "Oh…It's your snow powers, isn't it? Why don't we have a talk after dinner?"

Screwy said, "Oh, yeah! I'm hungry!"

Jewel said, "Same here."

Discord said, "Er, if you don't mind, I think I'll eat a light supper."

Screwy asked, "Because you ate a snack earlier?"

"Well, partially. But mostly, I would like to wash off the Tatzlwurm spit. I was in that dreaded creature's mouth. Blech!"

The royals giggled at this.

After supper was over and Discord jumped into the shower, Snow Pea took Sunset to the library and sat down on a couch with her.

Snowy told her aunt, "Don't get me wrong. I love it here, but ever since that accident last winter, I'm afraid of what ponies might think of me. If I try to use my powers out in the open again, they'll think I'm a monster, a freak…" Her eyes then glistened as she finished, "…a bad guy."

Sunset wrapped a hoof around her niece and said, "Now, stop that. You're not an evil pony and your powers don't really make you that way. It's how you choose to use them that counts, Snowy. And you've done nothing but good. You froze Big Bongo just so he could give us the Air Vest. If that wasn't a brave deed, I don't know what was."

"But, Aunt Sunny, I was afraid. My _fear_ did that, not my courage."

"Well, if your magic was strong because you were scared, just think what it might do if you were brave. If you're sure of yourself when you do your snow magic, it might accomplish a lot…and for the better." Sunset gave a wink, causing Snowy to giggle. She continued, "Remember what I told you last Hearth's Warming, Snowy. Just believe in yourself, and you can do incredible things with your powers. You don't need to be ashamed of them. They're a part of who you are. I'm sure your parents think the same thing."

Snowy embraced her aunt and said, "Thank you, Aunt Sunny. I feel better now."

Sunset stroked her niece's mane and chuckled, "Anything for you, kiddo."

The two of them then went up to Button Mash's study. When they opened the door, they saw Button sleeping on the desk.

"Poor Daddy!" Snow Pea said. "How long has he been sleeping like this?"

Sunset said, "Well, I'm guessing since the curse hit. By the looks of it, he was busy doing something when he fell under the spell."

"I think I know. Daddy said that he was going to look up information about the tiara in the books."

"You talked to him last night? Or whenever last night was?"

"Mm-hmm. Just before the curse happened, Little Button and I talked to Daddy through the mirror Mommy brought. I told him about the vendor who gave us the jewelry and how they're now stuck on us."

"Did he know what they were?"

"Not really. But when the tiara showed a picture of the pendant, he knew it was powerful magic. He also said that he was going to get on the next ship to the mainland as soon as he could."

"Then he knew the tiara meant big things."

"Uh-huh. And it has, along with your bracelets."

"Say, why don't we put your daddy in his bed? He's going to feel really uncomfortable sleeping like this."

"Yeah. The last time Daddy said he slept like this, his back ached for a week."

"No kidding."

With relative ease, Sunset lifted Button with her magic and carried him to his castle suite.

Before Sunset could tuck Button in, Snow Pea said, "Wait! If it's okay with you, I think I'd like to sleep with Daddy tonight. I want to feel like I'm safe and secure, though he's under a sleeping curse."

Sunset smiled and said, "All right. Whatever you want, Snowy." She used her magic to lift Snowy onto the bed and then tucked her in. "Night, Snowy."

Before the amber unicorn could leave, Snow Pea said, "Aunt Sunny? Can you sing me a lullaby? Mommy always sang to me and Little Button before we went to sleep."

"Sure." She then sang, _"Close your eyes, little girl blue…Inside of you like a rainbow…Yellow, blue, pink, orange, purple too…White, amber and orange, then the ye-llow…Rest your head, little girl blue…Come paint your dreams on your pillow…I'll be near to chase away fear…So sleep now and dream till tomorrow…I'll be near to chase away fear…So sleep now and dream till tomorrow…"_

Snow Pea smiled before she closed her eyes, "Thank you, Aunt Sunny."

Sunset said, "You're welcome. Good night, Snow Pea."

When she walked out into the hallway, she heard a strange sound. She raced towards a window and saw that Discord was blowing a conch shell on the beach.

She then teleported to Discord's side and asked, "Discord?"

Discord yelped as he fumbled with the shell. When he secured it with both hands, he admonished her in a startled tone, "Sunset, don't ever sneak up on me like that again! You could've given me a heart attack!"

She muttered under her breath, "Like _you_ could get a heart attack." She then asked, "I just wanted to know what you were doing with a conch shell."

Discord held out the conch shell and said, "This isn't _any_ conch shell. It's Sweetie Belle's. Back when we had to stop Button Mash from marrying Diamond Tiara, the kelpies gave Sweets a conch shell in case she needed help. She only used it one time, and now I'm planning to use it to summon the kelpies." He then blew into the shell one more time, but there was no response. He shook the shell and muttered, "Dumb thing must be broken."

Sunset shook her head, "I don't think that's the problem. I've read a lot about kelpies and almost every book said that they would respond to almost every call except when there's danger."

"Well, I think this qualifies, doesn't it?"

"This might be a different kind of danger. The kelpies made the Water Necklace, after all, so they might not want the Umbrum to seek them or the necklace out."

"Oh! That reminds me…" Discord then pulled out the hoofheld mirror and spoke into it, "Pips, can you patch Firestone through? We need to talk to him about the clue that leads to the Water Necklace."

Pip answered, "I've already got the clue from him. While you all were busy, I decided to talk to Firestone and asked for it myself. The clue he gave me was this: _Tides are most treacherous during a new moon. Be careful or you'll be led straight to your doom._ "

Discord asked, "That's not much to go on, if you ask me."

Sunset suggested, "How about we pull out a map of Marendelle in the library?"

"Well, here's to hoping we can find something." He snapped his talon and in a flash, they were teleported to the library. Discord then searched the shelves and muttered, "Maps, maps, maps, maps…" When he found what he was looking for, he cried, "Ah! There you are, my pretty!" He then pulled out the rolled-up map and laid it on the table.

After Sunset put the paperweights on the corners of the map, she said, "Okay, the clue mentioned tides, so it's probably near or even out on the sea."

Discord pointed to a place on the map and asked, "Would it be at Vermount's Lookout Point?"

Sunset shook her head and said, "Uh-uh."

Discord pointed to another spot and asked again, "Seahorse Beach?"

"Nope."

"Starry Cove?"

"No."

Discord groaned in exasperation, "Argh! There must be _something_ here that fits the clue!" He pointed to another spot on the map and said, "Bony Rock? No, probably not."

Sunset gasped, "Wait, Bony Rock! That might be it!"

As Sunset raced to search the shelves for a book, Discord asked, "It is?"

She said as she looked through the books, "Yes! I think I've heard a legend about that place!"

 _POOF!_

She turned back to see Discord holding a book in his paw.

He said, "It's easier to do it this way."

When Sunset returned to the table, she opened the book and exclaimed, "Ah! Here it is." She read aloud, "'Bony Rock is one of the most dangerous places on Marendelle. On nights when there's no moonlight out or it's stormy, ships often run into the rocky islet and many ponies on board die upon crashing. Legend has it that when it's darkest out, the skeletons on the rocks will return to life and make their way towards the island.'"

Discord gulped in fright, "I suppose that's why Button was creeped out by his mother's tales about zombies and skeleton ponies."

She asked, "Do you think the two are tied?"

"I'd…rather not think about it."

She turned the pages and found the section about zombies. She read aloud, "'Zombies are known to have come out of their graves under three circumstances: a new moon, Nightmare Night, and…'" He eyes shrunk when she read, "'…the Reign of Darkness'!" She told Discord, "Quick! Get a book about all sorts of legends, not just the ones in Marendelle!"

Within a second, he conjured up another book. He asked with a concerned look on his face, "You don't suppose what's happening now _is_ the Reign of Darkness, do you?"

Sunset replied when she skimmed the book, "I have a bad feeling it might be." When she found the section, she uttered, "Oh, no…"

Discord was almost afraid to ask, "Bad news?"

" _Very_ bad." She then read aloud, "'The Reign of Darkness is prophesied to be the age of the Umbrum. It is said that darkness would enshroud all the land and the sun would no longer rise. There would be only the moon and nothing else. Once the symbol of the Umbrum covers the entire moon, the Umbrum will forever rule.'"

"Well, if that isn't your typical apocalypse/dystopia, then I don't know what is."

"Wait, there's more." Sunset continued reading, "'The Umbrum tried to hasten the fulfillment of the prophecy long ago, but the Elemental Jewelry was crafted to defeat them. In case a threat as dire as that of the Umbrums should ever rise again, the four pieces have to be worn again.'"

"Well, until we find the Water Necklace, you can wear the Air Vest."

Sunset closed the book and said, "Oh, no, no, no. I'm not going to wear it unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Oh, come on, Sunny. Think of it this way: by wearing the vest, you'd be guarding it with your life."

"For the last time, Discord, I'm not getting another piece stuck on me."

Discord shrugged, "Suit yourself. I guess I'm going to have to wear it, then." He then conjured up the Air Vest.

Sunset warned, "Discord, don't you dare…"

Discord unfastened the straps and was about to wrap the vest on himself. He singsonged in a playful tone, "I'm going to…"

"NO!"

She lunged at him and knocked him to the floor. She then grabbed the Air Vest with her magic and raced out of the library at super speed.

Discord said as he sat up, "Two can play at this game, Ms. Shimmer."

He conjured up a tracking device and his eyes followed a blip representing Sunset Shimmer. He saw that she was going super fast, so he had to decide on a point to intercept her. When he saw that she was heading for the front gates, he smiled slyly, "I've got you now, my pretty."

He flashed in front of the front gates and said while holding his paw out, "Hold it right there, Sunset Shimmer!"

However, when Sunset rounded the corner towards the front gates, she just crashed into him. They both then tumbled out of the castle until they stopped about a few feet from the entrance.

Sunset grunted, "Discord, don't do that again! You're not going to wear the Air Vest and that's final!"

But Discord soon noticed something in the village and cried out, "Who let the dogs out?!"

Sunset looked in the direction he was facing and was agape as well. Large dogs wearing silvery armor were running amok and trashing the houses and shops of Marendelle.

She then cried out, "Diamond Dogs!"

 ** _AN:_** ** _Believe it or not, the lullaby Sunset sings to Snow Pea is from_** **Darkwing Duck** ** _! This particular lullaby, tweaked for this story, was sung by Darkwing to Gosalyn during the second episode of the two-parter that began the series. Sound familiar to you? ;)_**


	14. Peril on Marendelle

The Diamond Dogs were trashing the village when they heard a male voice yell, "HEY, YOU!"

They then stopped and looked around for the voice.

"YES, YOU! WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A WORD WITH YOU!"

They turned to see a funny creature with a megaphone and a pony wearing large bracelets on a stand near the castle.

Discord then gave the megaphone to Sunset and she shouted, "WE ARE THE CANTERLOT ROYALS AND WE DEMAND THAT YOU CEASE RANSACKING THE TOWN RIGHT NOW!"

The Diamond Dogs stood silent before bursting into laughter. The medium-sized dog, Rover, taunted, "You can't tell us what to do! You do not have shiny gems!"

Discord said, "Oh, we've got loads of shiny gems right here!" He conjured up a huge bag of gems, which he tossed up and down as if it was a regular ball. He then conjured up a bat and threw the bag in the air. "Go long!"

He then swung the bat and the bag of gems went flying over the horizon to the woods. Some of the gems fell out, but the Diamond Dogs only chased after the flying bag.

Discord leaned on the handle end of the bat and said, "Discord hits a homerun."

Sunset turned to him and commended, "Wow, Discord! That was really good!"

"Well, when you've been in the lair of the Diamond Dogs, you tend to learn a few tricks of the trade."

Just then, they heard a creepy groan in the distance. They froze as Sunset asked in a scared tone, "What was that?"

"Oh, boy. I hope it isn't what I think it is."

After a few moments, strange figures began to emerge from the fog. They had sickly green coats and stitches all over their bodies.

Discord and Sunset both cried, "Zombies!"

Sunset then asked, "What should we do?"

"Sunset, there's only one thing to do…" He then faced the castle and was about to run when he shouted, "Run for your life!" He disappeared in a flash.

Sunset took his advice and ran at super speed into the castle. Before the zombies had a chance to breech the gate walls, bolts and planks of wood barred every door, metal shutters shut every window, and a huge iron wall encircled the castle, complete with barbed wire and a barrier spell.

Discord and Sunset were inside the castle panting when Spike ran up to them and asked, "What's going on? Are we under attack?"

The draconequus said, "We've got a major zombie invasion! _Huge!"_

Spike cried, "Zombies?! No! Are you serious?!"

Sunset explained, "We're keeping them out now, but we don't know how to stop them!"

Spike suggested in a panicked voice, "Well, Twilight would look in the library for anything about zombies!"

Discord said, "Then that's where we'll look!"

After only a few hours in, the trio fell asleep while searching through the books. If the sun was still rising on schedule, they would've slept till the next morning. Since it was still dark out, the fillies weren't sure until they looked at a clock.

Screwball said when she saw the closed windows and barred doors, "Wow. What happened last night? Or whenever last night was."

Apple Jewel said, "I don't know, but it must've been pretty bad."

Snow Pea suggested, "Let's go look for the grown-ups. I'm sure they know."

Screwy took out a tracking device, and when it beeped, she exclaimed, "Ah! Found Daddy! Come on, let's go!"

The two fillies followed Screwy to the library and were surprised to find all of the adults sleeping there.

Snow Pea remarked, "I think we found all three of them."

Apple Jewel said, "I hope they're not under the sleeping curse." She nudged her dad and said, "Daddy? Daddy! Get up, Daddy! Please wake up!"

Spike opened his eyes and groaned, "What time is it? Why are you up?"

Screwy explained, "Uncle Spike, it's 8:00 in the morning. Well, it's _supposed_ to be morning. The point is we slept in."

Discord rubbed his eyes and yawned, "Don't tell me today's a snow day."

"Dad, there is no day, remember? The curse, eternal night, all that stuff?"

He then remembered and said, "Oh…right."

Sunset said as she woke up, "I suppose it's pointless to even say 'good morning' now, huh?"

Screwy shrugged, "Pretty much."

Snow Pea asked, "By the way, what happened to the windows and doors?"

Before anyone could answer, Spike's stomach rumbled.

Discord said, "We'll talk about it…after breakfast."

As the royals walked down the hall, Discord whispered to Spike, "You know, Spike, I'm impressed with how you're keeping a cool head in front of the girls."

Spike whispered back, "Well, we are supposed to be the examples."

Sunset suggested, "If we act brave when we tell them about the zombies, maybe they'll try to emulate us."

"ZOMBIES?!" all three fillies cried.

Discord muttered to Sunset, "Well, there goes your brilliant idea of role-modeling."

She hissed, "Well, I didn't hear _you_ making suggestions!"

Screwball asked, "Um, guys? The zombies?"

Discord tittered nervously, "Oh, heh-heh. See, er…the zombies came out last night – no, wait, a while ago - and so Aunt Sunset and I barricaded the castle."

Jewel asked, "Is that why it's so dark in here?"

"Only on the outside."

Screwball flashed into general attire and spoke as she walked back and forth, "All right, ponies! We've got a zombie invasion on our hooves! We need to drive them back or eliminate them at all costs! Aunt Sunset, have you, Dad, or Uncle Spike found anything about how to get rid of the zombies?"

Sunset sighed, "We were all tired, so we didn't get very far."

Discord said, "And I tried to conjure up any books about repelling zombies, but no luck there."

Screwball said, "Well, when all else fails, turn to harmony."

The adults exchanged looks and said simultaneously, "Harmony?"

Jewel then asked, "How does harmony get rid of the zombies?"

Screwball answered, "In every video game I played with zombies in it, a perfect three-part harmony always blows their heads off."

Snowy grimaced, "Eww!"

For a moment, Discord rubbed his chin and contemplated on what his daughter said. Then, a mischievous grin crept on his face and he said, "Screwy, your crazy idea might just work."

Outside the iron wall, zombies were still trying to get in when they heard a loud feedback screech. When the iron wall lowered itself, the zombies saw two ponies and a draconequus on a balcony. Screwball was wearing a black and white dress with a large triangle along the side of the dress. She was also wearing a blonde wig and a black and white mask.

Sunset was wearing a cherry blossom pink outfit with a fan tail resembling that of a phoenix's. She also had tannish eyeshadow and a red streak bordering the lower part of her eyes and was connected above her muzzle. She wore a pink neckpiece with her cutie mark in the middle and it was connected to the garment she wore on the front.

Discord was wearing a black suit with pointed epaulets and a downwards triangle in the front with two lightning bolts. He was also wearing a black wig and white paint on his face with black paint around his eyes in a houndstooth pattern. He wore silvery gauntlets that stopped at the hands, a silvery belt, and black leather boots with lightning patterns on them.

Screwy spoke into the microphone, "Zombies and gentlecolts, I'm Screwball. They're my Daddy Discord and Sunset Shimmer, and together we're Chaos Sunrise Pink!"

Sunset added, "I never agreed to that name."

"Hit it!" With a flick of her tail, the karaoke machine began playing a song.

As the zombies edged closer to the castle, Discord said, "Uh, Screwy? Our lives may not be worth this."

Following the lyrics on the screen, Sunset began to sing, " _Friday night_ … _We're gonna party_ _'til dawn_ … _Don't worry, daddy_ … _I've got my favorite dress on?"_

Screwball then sang, " _We're rollin' to the party_ … _The boys are lookin' our way_ … _We just keep dancin'…We don't care what they say_ … _And all the boys are_ … _Gettin' up in my face…"_

Discord sang, " _Boys are a bore…Let's show 'em the door…"_

All three sang together, " _We're taking over the dance floor!_ _Oooh Ooh…Girls do what we like…Oooh Ooh…We're taking over tonight…_

 _"_ _Oooh Ooh…Girls do what we like…Oooh Ooh…We're taking over midnight…We're queens of the disco!"_

As the group sang, the zombies' heads began to explode. Spike and the other girls saw this from a window.

Spike remarked, "I don't believe it! It's actually working!"

The trio on the balcony continued to sing, " _Oooh Ooh…Girls do what we like…Oooh Ooh…We're taking over tonight…"_

Sunset finished, " _Taking over tonight!"_

Just then, a zombie climbed onto the railing of the balcony. Sunset let out a shriek when she saw it.

Screwball said while she charged a party cannon, "Duck!" She then blasted the cannon at the zombie and it flew a great distance away from the castle.

When the music ended, Screwball said, "Thank you! We'll be here all night!"

Discord laughed, "Deal with it, zombie idiots!"

Snow Pea ran out on the balcony just as Discord, Sunset, and Screwball made their outfits vanish. She praised, "That was great, you guys!"

Jewel followed her and said, "You were awesome!"

Spike said, "Looks like we got rid of the zombies for good."

Screwball then glimpsed at something on the shore and cried while pointing there, "What's that?!"

The royals then ran to the railing and looked in the direction Screwy was facing.

Sunset breathed, "Oh, no…"

Discord told her, "Don't tell me that's them!"

"I think it is."

The royals' hearts dropped as skeleton ponies emerged from the sea. Discord summoned the conch shell and tried to blow into it, but he sputtered and the conch calls were distorted and weak. The frail blows caught the attention of the skeleton ponies and the bony undead started heading for the palace.

Sunset asked, "Discord, what are you doing?!"

Discord answered, "I'm trying to call the kelpies for help, but I'm too scared to blow correctly!"

Snow Pea then remembered the story her mother had told her and her sister about how she and the fillies' father first met. Snowy distinctly remembered the part where her mother had to use a conch shell to summon the kelpies to stop Caballeron from getting away.

Snowy said, "Let me try!"

She grabbed the conch shell with her magic, and with a new burst of courage, she blew into the shell with all her might. Her tiara glowed and thus multiplied the effect of the blare. The force of the blow literally shook the skeleton ponies until they became a pile of inanimate bones. When Snow Pea took a breath from blowing the shell, she was amazed by what she saw.

She asked, "Did I do that?"

Sunset wrapped her hoof around her niece and smiled, "You sure did, kiddo. You sure did."

Discord lifted Snowy up and twirled her around while he cheered, "Way to go, Snow Pea!"

The other royals cheered as well until a voice said, "We'll take it from here."

The group turned and the fillies gasped when they saw figures in the sea. They couldn't believe their eyes. They were actually seeing kelpies and mermares!

 ** _AN: CartoonNerd12 insisted that I added the song from_** **Gravity Falls** ** _in. I guess it makes sense in context, since zombies and skeleton ponies were mentioned in_** **Daughter of the Moon** ** _._**

 ** _Screwball is wearing one of Lady Gaga's outfits here. It took a lot of work describing Discord's outfit, which by the way is Tommy Thayer's from the KISS band. ;)_**

 ** _Visual pun here: when the wall around the castle goes down so the trio could be visible, I guess you could say that they were lowering the_** **iron curtain** ** _._**


	15. Terrible Truths

As groups of sea ponies left to take the bundles of bones back to Bony Rock, Cassie the kelpie and Jewel the mermare spoke with the royals.

Snow Pea exclaimed, "I can't believe I'm seeing kelpies and mermares right before my eyes!"

Jewel chuckled, "Of course. We once helped your mother rescue her true love."

Discord asked in an irritated tone, "Then why didn't you answer when I blew the conch shell?"

Cassie answered, "We can tell different pitches from one another. And besides, we wanted to make sure you weren't crying wolf again."

The royals all turned to Discord, who nervously smiled, "Okay, I might've been playing with the conch shell one or two times in the past."

Jewel said, "We all knew that the perpetual darkness meant that something was wrong, but we didn't know what."

Sunset said, "I hate to say this, but it might be the Reign of Darkness." The group of mermares and sea sprites gasped at that.

Cassie muttered in a concerned tone, "The Umbrum have returned."

Discord said, "Well…Not 'returned', per se. Several of them found us, but we bested them. Now it's the princess you have to worry about."

Sunset nodded, "Mm-hmm. If she hasn't attacked us yet, then that might mean she cannot leave the Umbrum world. And we think she might need all four pieces of the Elemental Jewelry to do that."

Jewel said, "But you're wearing the tiara and the bracelets, aren't you? So she won't get to those pieces."

Sunset said, "Yes, but she might want to kidnap us so we could turn as evil as she is and join her."

Spike asked, "So do you have any idea where the Water Necklace might be?"

Cassie hung her head and sighed, "No, unfortunately. You see, we had hidden it on Bony Rock, but pirates had managed to steal it and leave Bony Rock unharmed. It is now nowhere to be found."

Jewel said, "Believe us, we tried everything to find it, but we weren't lucky."

Snow Pea asked, "Did you ask for help or send sea creatures out to search for it?"

Cassie answered, "We dared not to after what happened with the three mermares who ventured to the mainland through the rivers. They wanted to follow the Water Necklace so it could be returned safely to Marendelle, but they did not come back. The only fish who saw what happened to them was Old Fish Tracker. He told us about their encounter with the Umbrum and how they struck a deal with the shadow ponies to live on land. They were lost to us the moment they transformed into…sirens."

The royals were all agape at this until Screwball said, "Hold on a minute! Are you saying that the sirens were once mermares?!"

Jewel said regretfully, "Yes, but they were blinded by their curiosity and ambition."

Apple Jewel asked, "Were their names Adagio, Aria, and Sonata?"

The kelpie and mermare exchanged surprised glances and then Jewel answered, "Yes. Those were their names. Where are they now?"

"In the Umbrum world with Princess Belladonna."

Sunset then asked, "That's why it's urgent we need the Water Necklace. We don't know what it looks like and we hope that you have a picture of it somehow.

Cassie nodded, "Yes, we do. Jewel, go to Starry Cove and retrieve a blue-and-silver canister. It has what the royals need."

Jewel nodded and swam away.

Cassie then asked, "Just how did you come by the Fire Tiara and Earth Bracelets?"

Sunset explained, "The sirens found them and were planning to bring them to Belladonna, but we intercepted and got the jewelry stuck on Snow Pea and me instead."

"Did you recognize the jewelry or the sirens?"

"Not until much later. We thought it was just ordinary jewelry, but we didn't find out what they were until they got stuck on us and the sleeping curse hit."

"A sleeping curse? We were aware that something was amiss, but how is this possible?"

It almost broke Sunset's heart to say it, but she said, "The Umbrum…turned Princess Luna…evil. It was she who brought the eternal night and combined her magic with the sirens' magic to spread a sleeping curse all over Equestria. It's only affected ponies, but the jewelry makes Snow Pea and me immune."

Cassie stayed silent for a few moments and said, "I am sorry about your aunt. I hope you find a way to bring her back into the light. And bring light back into the world, too."

Jewel then reappeared and held a canister in her fins. She said, "Here you go. I hope this helps."

Sunset grabbed the canister with her magic and smiled, "I think it's going to help a lot."

She opened the canister and pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper. When Sunset unrolled the paper, Discord let out a gasp.

Screwball asked, "Dad? Is something wrong?"

Discord replied, "It's just…the picture. It looks exactly like something I gave to a friend long ago."

"You had a friend other than Mom?"

"Yes. She was the only friend I ever made before I met your mother."

"Maybe we can find her."

"Well, the problem is she disappeared a long time ago and I don't know if I can find her again. Believe me, I tried looking for her, but I wasn't very successful. And besides, I don't even know if this Water Necklace _is_ the same one I gave her. I mean, there was a bunch of necklaces just like it. I just picked out the one most different from them."

Cassie asked, "Discord, answer me this: were the words 'Made in Manehattan' on it?"

Discord thought for a moment before replying, "No, not really. But maybe I just didn't look hard enough."

Jewel said, "Discord, if your friend _does_ possess the Water Necklace, then you can use a searching crystal to find her _and_ the necklace."

Cassie said, "We can't travel far inland except by river. If she's nowhere near any water source, then your best option is to take a crystal and use it to search for her and/or the Water Necklace."

Jewel then asked, "Where did you see her last?"

Discord said, "Well, the last time I saw her was in the Crystal Empire."

Cassie said, "Then take a searching crystal and start there."

A sea pony then rose to the surface with a light pink crystal in its fins.

As Discord was grabbing the crystal, Jewel instructed them, "To find the Water Necklace, just imagine it and point the crystal in every direction until you get a light. The brighter the light is, the nearer you are to the necklace. Hopefully, if the necklace you gave to your friend _was_ real, the crystal will lead you straight to her as well."

Discord smiled, "I can't thank you enough. Both of you."

Sunset nodded, "You are doing a great service for Equestria. I just hope we can set everything right again."

Cassie and Jewel bowed their heads in respect as the mermare said, "We wish you safe travels and the best of luck on your quest."

The royals bowed their heads as Sunset said, "Thank you."

Discord said, "What are we waiting for? Let's go!" He grabbed the royals and flashed them away.

Nightmare Moon returned to the castle and told Belladonna, "It seems that your patience has paid off. The royals have arrived in the Crystal Empire."

Belladonna hissed evilly, "Excellent. Now I make my move."

Within mere moments, she converted to her shadowy form and raced out of the Umbrum world.

Discord took the crystal, concentrated on the Water Necklace, and pointed it in every direction. He did this for a minute or so until Spike said, "Uh, Discord? Are you sure this is where you saw your friend last?"

The draconequus admonished, "Of course I'm certain. Now don't throw me off." He went back to swaying the crystal at the horizon until a faint light began to glow. "Ah! She _was_ wearing the real thing after all. Now let's go!"

The royals followed Discord up the path leading to Yakyakistan. When he noticed that most of them were getting cold, he snapped up winter wear for them. As they searched, the light began to glow brighter and brighter still.

Discord said excitedly and hopefully, "She must be close by! Come on!"

Just after they had traveled several feet, Discord stopped in his tracks.

Screwball asked, "Daddy, what's wrong?"

Discord put a claw to his head and said, "I…I think I'm having a vision."

Spike asked, "Can crystals even give you visions?"

The Lord of Chaos said, "Well, this one seems to…" He held up the crystal so he wouldn't lose the vision.

Suddenly, Snow Pea shivered.

Sunset asked, "Are you okay, Snowy?"

Snowy responded in a shaky voice, "It's…come back again, Aunt Sunny. The cold I felt at…" Just then, she realized something. She said in a stronger voice, "I think I know who it is!"

At that moment, images appeared in Discord's head. He saw a black neckpiece with two black pearls on it.

He thought, _Wait, isn't that…?_

Snow continued, "Back at the Faire, I sensed something! Screwball did, too!"

Discord concentrated on the neckpiece and all darkness unraveled from it.

"The hurt, the anger, the hate."

Discord could see the Water Necklace and the wearer more clearly, but fear gripped him.

 _No…No…_

"It's the Umbrum princess!"

Discord's ears drooped and his fearful eyes flew open as soon as he knew who it was.

 _Radiant Hope?!_

Belladonna sensed this and said, "He is free at last."

Discord shrieked at the top of his lungs, "NOOOOOOO!"

As soon as he fainted onto the snow, Screwy asked worriedly, "Daddy?"

Apple Jewel asked, "What happened?"

Suddenly, they heard a menacing howl in the distance.

Snow Pea gasped, "Oh, no…She's here."

Just then, a shadowy mass appeared out of the blue. It had eyes that were green and purple with red mist trailing from them.

Sunset shouted, "GO!"

She levitated Discord and ran with the other royals. They then came upon a cave and to their surprise, a Yeti/baboon monster appeared! It looked at the royals threateningly until it glanced at the shadow following them. It gave a yelp before it retreated back into its cave.

Sunset cried, "Get inside!" She then threw Discord into the cave and stopped to face Belladonna.

Snow Pea saw this and said, "Aunt Sunny, no!"

"Don't worry about me! Just get inside!"

Sunset then blasted her magic at the shadow, but it dodged it with ease. Before the shadow could envelope the unicorn, Sunset ran at super speed and kicked up snow to distract Belladonna. When Sunset saw that her family had made it to the cave, she ran toward it at super speed and blasted at the rocks above the entrance. She gave a mighty jump and landed inside before the rocks could cover the entrance.

Belladonna hissed when the entrance was completely covered and slowly made her way back to her lair.

Apple Jewel said, "It's so dark in here!"

Just then, Sunset activated her horn so the light from her magic filled the cave. She said to Spike, "Spike, can you make a fire?"

Spike looked all around and said, "I see some kindling in the nest. I'd have to get past the creature, though."

Screwball said, "That shouldn't be a problem."

The royals turned to see Screwball rubbing the monster's tummy. It kicked its legs in content and panted happily.

Screwy said, "I'm calling him Snowbutt McTwinkles."

Spike said, "We are not keeping it as a pet."

He grabbed the kindling while the monster was distracted, formed a pile, and blew fire on the sticks. When the fire was bright enough, Sunset deactivated her horn.

When they heard groaning, Snow Pea exclaimed, "Look! Uncle Discord's waking up!"

The royals then rushed over to Discord as he began to stir. He opened his eyes and asked, "What happened?"

Sunset explained, "You were having a vision when you conked out. Belladonna ambushed us, but we got to the safety of the cave before she could get to us."

Discord sat up and saw the Yeti monster, who sat in its nest all docile. He then looked all around and asked, "Where's the crystal?"

Screwball lifted her hat and revealed the crystal on her mane. She said, "Right here, Daddy. You gave us quite a scare."

Discord thought as he grabbed the crystal, _Then there's still hope. Maybe it wasn't really Radiant Hope, but Belladonna. Maybe Belladonna isn't…_

He went to the blocked entrance as he thought this and held out the crystal to find the Water Necklace. When he concentrated, though, all he saw was a shadowy mass moving away from the cave. He focused on the mass and saw Radiant Hope inside the blackness.

 _She is._

He dropped the crystal and stood silent.

Spike asked, "Discord…Are you okay?"

Discord replied in a broken voice, "No, I'm not. I think I need to be alone for a while."

When the rest of the royals went further into the cave, Discord let a single tear fall from his eye.

 ** _AN: Now that Belladonna's true identity is revealed, all I can say is that I have a_ very _good explanation for it. By the way, the scene where Discord finds out is another shout-out to_ Star Wars Rebels _. Believe it or not, "Snowbutt McTwinkles" is the actual name of the Yeti/baboon monster!_**


	16. Tales of Hope and Woe

At around lunchtime, Discord had snapped up a meal for the royals while he conjured up a sandwich for himself. He sat by himself and only took a few bites of his sandwich. The group saw that he was troubled and Spike and Sunset went to talk to him after lunch. They told the girls to play nicely with Snowbutt McTwinkles, but Snow Pea sneaked behind the grown-ups and overheard their conversation.

Discord thought to himself, _Oh, Hope…What happened to you all those years ago?_

Spike and Sunset walked up to them and the dragon said, "Hey, Discord."

When the spirit turned to face them, Sunset said, "I'm sorry you didn't find your friend."

Discord turned away from them and said, "She's gone. That vision I had told me she was gone."

Spike said, "What about the Water Necklace?"

The draconequus gave a wry chuckle, "I doubt it'll ever be found again."

Sunset asked, "Did the crystal give you a vision about what happened to your friend?"

He thought for several moments to choose his words carefully. He then said, "It was…sort of fuzzy. All I know is that she might be gone forever. Belladonna's darkness prevented me from knowing more."

The unicorn asked, "So the darkness overwhelmed the vision?"

"Yes. Yes, you could say that."

Spike then asked, "What was your friend like?"

Discord sighed, for he knew that it was time he told them about his friend, not the monster she had become. He said, "Believe it or not, but I was friends with Princess Radiant Hope herself."

Spike and Sunset were agape at this.

Spike then exclaimed, "Whoa! You were friends with Radiant Hope?"

Sunset asked, "Why didn't you tell us it was her?"

Discord replied, "Well, I didn't want to be accused of kidnapping Hope!"

The unicorn said, "But it was a long time ago! How can you be accused for kidnapping somepony who's been gone for years?"

"Believe me, that case isn't as cold as you think. If I had suddenly told ponies that I knew Hope, they would label me as a suspect."

Spike said, "So how did you know Hope?"

Discord sighed and then said, "Well, it's like this. After I lost my kind in the blizzard, I wandered blindly in the blowing snow. I eventually found the Crystal Empire and found it to be a refuge. But as soon as I got there, I saw I wasn't like other ponies, so I decided to change myself into a colt and cause harmless mischief."

Sunset looked at him dubiously, "'Harmless'?"

"Okay, okay! So I may have gotten carried away…"

Years ago, when Discord discovered the Crystal Empire and changed into a colt, he decided to have some fun. He tested out his powers on the playground and created a lot of havoc. He was enjoying it until two Crystal Guards intervened.

"You, young colt!" one guard said.

Discord's head whipped back in surprise.

The other guard said, "What do you think you're doing?"

The "colt" nervously chuckled, "Officers, there's no problem here. I was just having a bit of fun, that's all."

The first guard said, "Where are your parents?"

Discord hung his head and glumly said, "I'm…afraid I lost my parents in a blizzard, sir."

The other guard said, "You have our sympathy, young one. But we have to take you to the orphanage."

Not knowing what an orphanage was, Discord gulped, "The orphanage? Oh, I can't go there. Have mercy on a poor soul!"

The first guard said, "We _are_ giving you mercy by taking you to the orphanage."

Discord said, "Then you'll have to catch me first!"

He then sped off at the speed of light and zigzagged through the streets of the Crystal Empire. He found that he kept stumbling by running on all fours.

Discord muttered to himself, "Oh, this will never work. I might as well change back to my original form."

As he did, however, he crashed into an apple stand! When he came to, a filly's voice asked, "Are you okay?"

When Discord emerged from the pile of apples, the filly gasped in surprise. He looked at her and saw that she had a glittering, grayish heliotrope coat and a light grayish arctic blue mane.

The filly breathed, "Wow…You look strange."

Discord said sarcastically, "Thank you for noticing."

"Oh, I'm sorry. What I meant to say was that you don't look like other ponies. What are you?"

"Well, I'm a draboniquid. No, wait. Draconebiss? Drafonokit?"

The filly giggled, "Don't worry. I'm sure there's a book in the castle library that will tell you what kind of animal you are. Come on."

He said as he got out of the mess and followed her, "Is it like a personality quiz or something?"

She chuckled, "You're funny. What's your name?"

"I'm Discord."

"'Discord'? That's a really…" She then re-thought her words so she wouldn't insult him. "…interesting name. I'm Princess Radiant Hope."

Discord's eyes widened in wonder, "You're a princess? Wow…I've only heard about pony royalty."

They kept talking until they got to the castle. Radiant Hope led him to the dais and said, "This is the Crystal Heart. It can show you what's inside your heart. As an added bonus, you can see your future if you look at it closely enough."

"Well, I'll give it a go."

Discord then peered into the Crystal Heart, but the vision was as jumbled as his body was.

Hope asked, "Well, what did you see?"

Discord answered, "It was a weird jumble, really. All I could make out were cotton candy clouds and the color yellow."

Just then, a voice gasped, "Upon my word…A draconequus!"

 ** _Before I knew it, I was face-to-face with Princess Amore._**

Amore stepped forward and looked at Discord in amazement. She said, "I didn't think there were any draconequui left."

Hope asked, "Is that what he is, Mommy? A derconi…?"

Amore chuckled, "A draconequus. You'll get the hang of saying the word."

Discord asked, "Excuse me, miss? Am I really the only one left?"

Amore answered, "I certainly hope not. It's just that we can't find any other members of your kind right now. However, I'm keeping hope that you're not the only one left."

Hope said, "Oh, I hope you find your friends someday."

Discord gazed to the side and said uneasily, "Well, thing is…I don't really have any friends, not even the ones of my kind."

"Well, I'll be your friend."

Amore smiled, "And I will, too."

Discord felt all warm and bubbly inside when the princesses said that.

 ** _I grew to love the Crystal Empire now that I made friends with the princesses. However, Amore insisted that I stay at the orphanage. The reason I had run off in the first place was because I thought the orphanage was a horrible place, like a dungeon. When I got there, however, it didn't seem so bad. The ponies were startled and even afraid of me, sure, but Hope always made time to visit me and play with me. Despite it all, though, I still missed my family and cried about them sometimes._**

One night, Hope invited Discord to sleep over at the castle. They had a lot of fun and played many games. When she was drifting off to sleep, however, she heard sniffling and weeping. She lifted her head from her pillow and saw Discord in his sleeping bag. She knew something was wrong because his body was shaking and his head dug into his pillow.

She asked softly, "Discord, what's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?"

Discord lifted his head and Hope saw trails of tears streaming from his eyes. He answered in a choked-up voice, "I miss my mom and dad. I wish I wasn't the only one left."

Hope got out of her bed and stroked his fur to calm him. She soothed, "Maybe you're not. Maybe there are others out there. Maybe you could find them when you're old enough."

"Well, that blizzard seemed pretty bad. I don't know if I could ever find them."

"Well, if you don't, you'll always have Mommy and me. We'll be your friends, through thick and thin."

"I like that."

 ** _Hope and I had a close friendship for many years. When I became older, I decided to have adventures out there. I would then come back to the Crystal Empire and share my stories with Hope. Of course, I omitted details involving my mischief-making. At the time word reached the Empire about all the trouble I had been causing, I went to visit Hope just before her coronation._**

"Oh, Hopey-poo!" Discord sing-songed as he entered the room bearing gifts. "Look what I brought you!" When he saw that she was sitting on her bed and facing away from him, he grew concerned. "Hope? What's the matter?"

Hope said in a whispery, pleading tone, "Tell me it isn't true." She then faced him with teary eyes and magically held a photo while she desperately pleaded, "Tell me it isn't!"

Discord's pupils shrunk when he saw the photo. It was of him riding a fake bull and twirling a lasso in a western town warped by his chaos. He gasped and then muttered in an awkward tone, "Ohh…"

Hope's voice was dusted with anger as she said, "Reports have been coming in about reality-bending mayhem in Dodge Junction! Every ruler has been informed about this! How long has this been going on?"

Though he was panicking on the inside, Discord said in a nonchalant tone, "Oh, Hope, you have nothing to worry about. I only used a little bit of my magic." He then muttered in an irritated tone, "Of course, if that cowpony insulted me further, I would've…"

Hope asked in a stern tone, "Discord, what happened?"

Discord spat out, "Look, it wasn't my fault, okay?! I don't belong in Equestria! Can I help it if I look nothing like them?! And they certainly don't appreciate my gifts of chaos! They always look at me as a freak, a villain!"

"But you're not a villain! You're my best friend!"

"And I still am, Hope! I still am! You're the only one who appreciates me for who I am!"

Hope sighed, "Look, I know that you haven't found anyone of your kind yet, but –"

"You don't understand, Hope! _Every_ draconequus but me died in that blizzard!" His voice then choked up, " _I'm_ the only one left!" He then calmed down and continued, "I'm an outcast, Hope. And I always will be."

"You've never been an outcast to me, Discord. But if you keep doing this, you will alienate yourself from everypony else."

Discord scoffed, "And let my talents for bedlam wither away? What kind of friend are you?"

Hope gave a steely glare as she said, "The kind who looks out for you."

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, I don't need anypony looking out for me. I can handle myself out there, and I don't need some prissy princess to act as Big Sister."

The "prissy princess" bit stung Radiant Hope and tears welled up in her eyes.

Discord continued, "But if you're so worried about me, I'll be in Ponyville having the time of my life. _Sayonara._ " Just like that, he vanished into thin air…

In present day, Discord wrapped his arms around his body as he finished, "I've regretted that day since. While I was in Ponyville, Celestia and Sombra found me and turned me to stone. When Fluttershy freed me, I learned of Hope's disappearance and decided to look for her. I searched for her for days and I deeply hoped that once I found her, I would tell her just how sorry I was for souring our friendship. But…like my kind, I couldn't find her. And now I know what happened to her."

Spike asked, "What?"

"Belladonna took her. She practically erased her from the face of Equestria. Now I might never see her again." He whimpered as he closed his teary eyes.

Sunset said, "Hey. At least you can fix your past mistakes by confronting Belladonna."

This filled Discord with new confidence. He straightened his back and said, "You're right, Sunset. It's time I showed that I've put my past behind me."

He then stood up and began to sing, _"Power…was all I desired…But all that grew inside me…was the darkness I acquired…When I began to fall…and I lost the path ahead…that's when her friendship found me…and it lifted me instead…_

 _"_ _Like a phoenix burning bright…in the sky…I'll show there's another side to me…they can't deny…I may not know what the future holds…but hear me when I say…that my past does not define me…'cause my past is not today…_

 _"_ _Ambition…is what I believed…would be the only way…to set me free…But when it disappeared…and I found myself alone…that's when they came and got me…and it felt like I was home…_

 _"_ _Like a phoenix burning bright…in the sky…I'll show there's another side to me…they can't deny…I may not know what the future holds…but hear me when I say…that my past does not define me…'cause my past is not today…"_

In the Umbrum world, Belladonna walked into her chamber with a burlap bag. When she got to the vanity, she placed the bag on it and pulled out the Crystal Heart with her magic. She set it down in front of the mirror and gazed into it. The image disgusted her. The reflection that looked back was a Crystal Princess with a coat of grayish heliotrope and a mane of light grayish arctic blue. Belladonna was looking at Radiant Hope, her former identity. She remembered how she cast aside her former self and took on her current alter ego…

Back when Radiant Hope was young, a young Sombra visited her in the Crystal Empire. They were very good friends and played with each other often. However, she never told him about Discord. To her, it was her little secret. As the years passed, she developed a crush on Sombra. It was further fueled by talk of who might be Sombra's future wife. Many ponies thought it was going to be Hope.

One day, though, Sombra stopped by the Crystal Empire again. Hope swore that she had never seen him happier.

She chuckled, "What's got you all excited?"

Sombra sighed dreamily, "I couldn't help myself, Hope. The moment she walked in, I instantly fell for her."

Hope's heart dropped as soon as she heard that. She asked, "'She'?"

"Princess Celestia."

Hope had heard of Princesses Celestia and Luna. She knew that the same blizzard that took Discord's kind also took every alicorn but the two sisters. Years ago, they were coronated as princesses and protectors of Equestria.

" _The_ Princess Celestia?"

"The one and only."

"Wow…" She then said uneasily, "It sounds like you've got it pretty bad." Not wanting to act like a bad friend, she asked, "What's she like?"

"Oh, Hope, she's beautiful! Her face shines brighter than the sun she raises. And her courage! I have never seen her more determined to fight for what she believes in. I am very glad that she accepted my proposal."

This surprised Hope as she let out an accidental gasp, "Proposal?"

"Yes. That's what I came to tell you. I'm getting married to her in a few months. I thought I'd ask you to be the mare of honor. Luna will be presiding over the ceremony."

Hope was flabbergasted, heartbroken, jealous, and tongue-tied at the same time. However, Sombra was a dear friend of hers, even if they could never be together at this point.

Like the princess she was, she said in a gracious tone, "I would be honored to be the mare of honor."

Sombra gleefully said, "Thank you, Hope! You are a true friend."

 _Friend._ And that's all she would ever be. It still nagged Hope that they could've been something more, but once he saw Sombra and Celestia deeply in love with each other, she decided to let them be happy together.

Her heartbreak was just a small wound that still pained from time to time, but it reopened when Discord gave up on their friendship. She was lethargic from the heartache of it all: the news about Dodge Junction, Discord's anger at her, and his abrupt departure. She wept every time the thought of him hating her crossed her mind.

Days later, Amore entered Hope's bedroom and said in a remorseful tone, "You don't have to worry about Discord anymore, dearest. He's been…taken care of."

Radiant Hope faced her and asked, "'Taken care of'?"

Amore regretted saying it, but she nodded and said, "Yes. They…found him in Ponyville and they…turned him to stone."

Hope jerked in her bed and cried, "What?!"

"He is still very much alive, but encased in stone. You have to understand, Hope. He was becoming a dangerous threat to Equestria. He had to be stopped."

"But you were his friend, Mom. _I_ was his friend! He leaned on both…" She then realized something. She asked her mother, "How did you know he was in Ponyville?"

Amore sighed, "I heard you and Discord shouting and so I thought I'd find out what it was about. That's when I found out he was going to Ponyville."

Hope glared at her mother and said, "You sold him out!"

Amore retorted, "I only did it for the good of Equestria! As a princess yourself, you should know this."

"Well, maybe I don't want to be a princess anymore!"

It cut through Amore like a knife. However, she calmly said, "I think we need to cool down for a bit. We'll talk when you feel like it."

When her mother left the room, Radiant Hope let out heavy sobs before she calmed down. As she lied on her bed, a million ideas popped up in her head, but one was most prominent…

Hope stole away in the dead of night and trotted towards the Frozen North. She figured that nopony would ever look for her there, and it would've been all for the better if she…

 _"_ _Ah-ah-ah…Ah-ah-ahhh…"_

Hope heard vocalizing in the distance and decided to check it out. When she found a large, red crystal, the vocalizing grew stronger…and more hypnotizing. It was just so beautiful that Hope couldn't resist. She put a hoof on the crystal and drew it back in surprise when it nearly disappeared in the gem. She knew it was a portal, so she decided to venture inside.

She trekked down the stairs and found a shadowy but beautiful land. It didn't have much color, but just the view of it took Hope's breath away. When her eyes caught the enormous castle, she was astounded by it. She was about to walk away when she heard it again.

 _"_ _Ah-ah-ah…Ah-ah-ahhh…"_

With caution, she went inside the castle. It was large and almost bare. It almost intimidated her to see just how dark and foreboding it was. She thought, _Who could ever live here?_

Just then, she saw a red glow shining from a room. She then heard voices singing, _"Come to us, princess of crystal…Come to us, princess of crystal…"_

It disturbed her, but she couldn't help herself. She went forth and walked in the room. She was surprised to see three sirens facing their vanities. She could also see reflections of their faces in the mirrors.

The yellow siren said, "Welcome, dear princess. We were hoping you'd arrive. It's not polite to stare, you know."

The purple siren said, "Yeah, unless you want to turn to stone."

When Hope gasped, the blue siren smiled, "Don't worry. She's just kidding. We don't turn ponies to stone."

Hope looked down and crossed her front hooves as she said, "Somepony I know has _already_ turned to stone."

The sirens turned to face her and the yellow siren said in pity, "We're sorry to hear that. Oh! We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Adagio Dazzle, and these are Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk. We grant the desire of any being that comes to us. So tell us – what is it you wish most?"

"The only thing I want right now is to get away from my royal life. Ever since my mother ratted out my friend, I didn't want to be a princess anymore."

Sonata chirped, "Oh, that's simple!"

Aria said, "The only way to get what you want is to become another pony."

Hope gasped, "Can you do that?"

Adagio said, "My dear, sweet princess. That's what we do. It's what we live for."

Sonata said, "To help unfortunate ponies like yourself."

Aria said, "Poor souls with no one else to turn to."

The sirens then sang, _"We admit that in the past, we've been just nasty…They weren't kidding when they called us, well, witches…But you'll find that nowadays, we've mended all our ways…."_

Adagio sang, _"Repented…"_

Sonata sang, _"Seen the light…"_

Aria sang, _"And made switches…"_

Adagio sang again, _"True? Yes…"_

All three sang, _"And we fortunately know a little magic…It's a talent we always have possessed…And here lately, please don't laugh, we use it on behalf of the miserable, lonely, and depressed…"_

Aria whispered to her associates in disgust, "Pathetic."

The sirens all sang, _"Poor unfortunate souls…"_

Adagio sang, _"In pain, in need…"_

Sonata sang, _"This one longing to be thinner…"_

Aria sang, _"That one wants to get the mare…"_

Adagio sang again, _"And do we help them? Yes, indeed…"_

The sirens all sang, _"Those poor, unfortunate souls…So sad, so true…They come flocking to our cauldron crying 'Help us, sirens, please!' And we help them…Yes, we do…"_

Aria sang, _"Now it's happened once or twice…"_

Sonata sang, _"Someone couldn't pay the price…"_

Adagio sang, _"And I'm afraid we had to rake 'em across the coals…"_

Aria sang, _"Yeah, we've had the odd complaint…"_

Sonata sang, _"But on the whole we've been just saints…"_

Adagio sang, _"To those poor, unfortunate souls!"_

Adagio then said, "So, here's our deal: we will transform you into another pony so you'll never get hurt again."

Aria said, "But there's a catch."

Hope asked, "A catch?"

Sonata shrugged, "Oh, it's not really much. Just a token, really. A trifle. You'll never even miss it."

Adagio said, "What we want from you is…your magic."

Hope said, "My magic?"

Aria said, "You got it, princess. No more zapping, zinging. Zip!"

"But without my magic, how can I…?"

Sonata said, "Don't worry. Magic will be the least of your problems. Changing your looks will make a total colt magnet!"

Aria sang, _"The colts out there don't like a lot of sparkle…"_

Sonata sang, _"They think a mare who glimmers is a bore…"_

Adagio sang, _"Yes, it's really much preferred for ladies not to say a word…And, after all, dear, what is all that makeup for?"_

Aria sang, _"Come on, they're not all that impressed with gleaming beauty…"_

Adagio sang, _"True gentlecolts avoid it so they bolt…"_

Sonata sang, _"But they dote and swoon and gaze on a lady without blaze…"_

Adagio sang, _"It's she who's just normal who gets her colt…"_

The sirens all sang, _"Come on, you poor unfortunate soul…"_

Aria sang, _"Go ahead, take your pick…"_

Adagio sang, _"We are very busy sirens and we haven't got all day…"_

Sonata sang, _"It won't cost much, just your gift…"_

Aria sang, _"Ya poor, unfortunate soul…"_

Sonata sang, _"It's sad, but true…"_

Adagio sang as she pulled out a contract, _"If you want to cross a bridge, my sweet, you've got to pay the toll…Take a gulp and take a breath and go ahead and sign the scroll…"_ She whispered to the sirens, _"It's the moment. Now we've got her, girls…"_

All three sirens then sang, _"Sirens are on a roll…This poor, unfortunate soul…"_

As the sirens sang the last verse, Radiant Hope grabbed the quill with her magic and signed her name on the contract. When the sirens grabbed the paper, they all grinned wickedly.

They summoned a whirlwind as they sang, _"Blast of snow, Windigo… Come, snow from white hills glorious …Cranial appendage…Et max incantation…Magia to us!"_

Adagio said to Hope, "Focus on your magic."

Hope then concentrated and her whole body radiated a blue aura.

Sonata cried, "That's it!"

Just then, all the magic that surrounded her body was being sucked into the pendants the sirens wore. The dullness started on her legs, and when it reached her flank, her cutie mark vanished completely! As the magic was being drained from her, Hope's colors continued to dull until the last of her magic left her horn. She was so weak she could barely stand up. There was no more color in her eyes. Only a gray fog blanketed her irises and pupils.

The sirens began to laugh evilly as they shot dark rays from their pendants. The darkness enclosed Hope and brought out all the hatred, anger, and resentment she kept bottled up. When she emerged from the blackness, she was no longer Radiant Hope, but Belladonna.

As per the agreement with the Umbrum and the sirens, Belladonna went back to the Crystal Empire to steal the Crystal Heart and then unleash the shadow ponies on the kingdom. When she went up to the dais, a voice stopped her.

"Halt! What is your business here?" Princess Amore asked sternly.

Belladonna chuckled as she pulled down her hood, "Why, Mother, don't you recognize me? Look at the Crystal Heart."

Amore gasped when she saw the villainess's "reflection" on the Heart. It was none other than her only daughter, Radiant Hope!

"Hope? Is that you?"

"I am no longer Radiant Hope. I am now Belladonna."

"What's happened to you?"

"It was you! And Discord! And Sombra! You all did this to me, so now I'm going to take my revenge and release the Umbrum from their prison!"

"Hope, you can't do that! The Umbrum are monsters! They will destroy the Crystal Empire _and_ Equestria!"

But Belladonna just chuckled, "'Monsters'? Oh, Mom, you've got it all wrong. _You're_ the only monster I see and you will be overthrown!"

As soon as she said those last few words, Belladonna blasted Amore to the ground. She looked down and saw her mother weak and fragile with black crystals now lacing her horn. She almost felt pity for her, but she pushed that feeling aside.

She told Amore as she encased the princess in crystal, "You are going to pay for what you did to Discord. You will never again rule this Empire."

Amore shouted before she became completely entrapped, "Hope, noooo!"

After she put the Crystal Heart in the bag and her mother in the dungeon, she went to a secret room and opened the door, unleashing the Umbrum onto the Empire. Her success was short-lived, however. When Celestia and Sombra defeated her, they encased her in a single dark crystal in the Frozen North. She escaped when the solar eclipse broke the crystal that imprisoned her…

Belladonna stared at the Crystal Heart, thinking of the night she defeated her mother and took control of the Crystal Empire. Still, what Luna had said about Amore being alive when she was found still nagged Belladonna. Could her mother have been still alive? And was she still?

She commanded the Crystal Heart, "Crystal Heart, show me what happened to Princess Amore."

The Heart complied with her order and showed her a scene from the past. Celestia and Sombra were standing side-by-side over Amore's bedside. Amore's colors had dulled and her mane was disheveled. She looked like she was about to die.

She laboriously breathed, "My…daughter…"

Celestia said regretfully, "We couldn't find her, Your Highness. We are sorry."

"No…Belladonna…Belladonna took her…She has my daughter…"

Sombra said, "We defeated Belladonna. We did not ask for Hope's whereabouts."

Amore lamented, "Oh…Then she's…she's gone…"

Celestia calmed her, "You must save your breath, Amore."

"I'm afraid I don't have much left."

Sombra cried, "Amore, no!"

Amore said, "The sun has set on my time. There is now only night."

Celestia said, "We will find your daughter, Princess Amore. This we swear."

Amore breathed, "Please….Call me Amore. Only…Amore." She then took her last breath and uttered, "Farewell…my dear…friends…" And with that, her head lowered and her eyes closed for the final time.

Celestia looked with glistening eyes and her hoof flew to her mouth as she sorrowfully uttered, "Oh…"

At that moment, the candle by Amore's bed went out, plunging the room into total darkness.

Belladonna felt overwrought with guilt. She tried to fight it, but she couldn't. She hung her head and said, "I'm sorry, Mother."

Unbeknownst to her, a single tear fell from her eye and landed on the floor, creating the shape of a broken heart.

 ** _AN: There's a story behind the nickname "Hopey-poo". When Mom watches the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful", there's a character on it named Hope. Mom nicknames her "Hopey-poo" out of fun and contempt, not affection._**

 ** _References! Besides the song number the sirens sing, they also vocalize Ariel's theme. When they sing to usher Hope into the room, the lyrics are tweaked from a lyric from_** **The Phantom of the Opera** ** _. The original line is "Come to me, angel of music"._**


	17. Legends

Even though the royals were in the closed cave, their muffled voices could still be heard outside.

Spike asked, "Do you think Belladonna's gone?"

A whirring could be heard before Discord said, "Yep. There's no trace of her whatsoever."

Sunset warned, "Then you might want to step back." A moment's pause before she continued, "Okay, ready? One…two….three!"

At "three", Sunset sent most of the stones flying with just one kick. Fortunately, the few left at the cave entrance didn't impede the royals.

Discord exited the cave while clapping. He praised, "Bravo, Ms. Shimmer. You really outdid yourself."

Apple Jewel cried, "That was amazing!"

Screwball told the Yeti monster, "Well, Snowbutt McTwinkles, I guess this is goodbye." When the creature lowed in sorrow, Screwy added, "Don't worry. I'll come back to see you as often as I can. You'll see." She giggled when Snowbutt licked her.

The royals then trekked the cold for half an hour.

Apple Jewel shivered, "Brr! How long till we get there?"

Discord answered, "We'll get there when we get there."

Sunset asked, "Discord, are you sure we're not lost?"

"Of course we're not lost!" He then placed his claw above his eyes and scanned the horizon. "It's just a little too dark to see anything."

Spike retorted, "'A little'? 'A little'?! Look at the moon! It's being covered by a shadow!"

The royals all looked up to see the shadow of the Umbrum symbol on the moon. It had reached three-quarters of the way up.

Snow Pea fretted, "We're running out of time. We're running out of time."

Sunset reassured her, "Don't worry, Snow Pea. We're going to fix this up in no time."

Just then, they heard a rumbling in the distance. After a few moments, they saw a white cloud heading towards them.

Snow Pea cried, "Oh, no! It's the Windigos!"

Sunset told her, "Stay behind me, kiddo."

When the white cloud drew closer, silhouettes began to emerge. It took a while for the royals to recognize them as yaks!

Discord threw his arms out and said gleefully, "Finally! The cavalry has…" When he saw that the yaks were carrying spears, he trailed off, "…arrived?" The armored yaks then circled the royals and pointed their spears at them. Discord said, "Oh, come on! This is the second time we've been surrounded by guards!"

Sunset explained to the yaks, "We mean you no harm. We come to you in peace."

Just then, two yaks stood aside while a yak with layered fur of tangelo hues and gold trimmings stepped forward.

The yak then said, "Me Prince Rutherford. Who you strangers be?"

Sunset replied, "We are the Canterlot Royals. The sleeping curse did not affect us."

Rutherford then scoffed, "Then why you wear Earth Bracelets? No one allowed to wear them!"

"Please, let us explain! We didn't know what they were until the curse hit!"

"How we know you not lying?"

Snow Pea then burst forward and said, "Because she's telling the truth!"

The yaks gasped when they saw Snow Pea.

Discord whispered to Snow Pea, "Snowy, what did you do?"

Rutherford then exclaimed, "Little filly…She snow princess! She one prophesied by Olaf the Great!" He ordered two of the guards, "Quick! Bring silver chair of high honor!"

As soon as the guards rushed back to Yakyakistan, Snow Pea asked, "But what about my family? Can they come with me?"

Rutherford chuckled, "Of course! Friend of snow princess is friend of ours!"

Just then, the guards came back with a silver chair bobbing between them. The chair with purple cushions had two rods on either side attached to the backs of the guards.

Prince Rutherford lifted Snowy onto the chair and told the guards, "Take her and family to Yakyakistan! We celebrate arrival!"

Discord then asked the prince, "Say, princey-boy, I don't suppose you could give me an elegant seat like that, could you?" When Rutherford snorted menacingly at him, Discord tittered nervously, "Eh-heh-heh. Never mind."

When the royals arrived at the gates, there was a whole crowd of yaks cheering inside the walls of the kingdom. They were all shouting, "Behold, snow princess! She comes! Snow princess here! The prophecy come true!"

Discord remarked, "Well, this is quite the welcoming party."

Rutherford then told the royals, "Come. You meet Olaf the Great. He foretold prophecy."

Snow Pea then asked, "Er, excuse me. If it's not too much trouble, I would like to get down and walk, please."

"But of course, snow princess." He gestured to the yaks carrying the chair, "Guards, down!"

When the guards knelt on the ground, Sunset used her magic to lift Snowy out of the chair. She then asked Rutherford, "Do you think Olaf the Great would know something about the Earth Bracelets?"

"Yes. He there when bracelets made."

Suddenly, a sentry cried from his lookout post, "Second wave! Second wave!"

Rutherford told the royals, "Hide! Umbrum make second wave!" When he noticed that the chair was still attached to the guards, he ordered, "Get rid of chair!" When a yak removed the chair from the guards' backs, the guards blushed and sheepishly tiptoed away.

Several yaks huddled around the royals in hopes of keeping them out of sight. Just then, they heard the moaning and growling of the Umbrum passing outside the kingdom walls. Some of the Umbrum rose above the walls and then dipped behind the walls again. Luckily, not one shadow pony caught sight of the royals. After the danger had passed, the yaks withdrew from the royals.

Discord gasped from holding his breath, "For goodness sakes! Would it kill you to take a bath once in a while?"

Rutherford snorted threateningly, "One more remark and we throw you out in snow!"

Snow Pea pleaded, "Please forgive him. He usually says stuff like that, but he's my uncle. Please don't throw him out."

Rutherford's heart softened and he said, "As you wish, snow princess. Now, come. Let us meet wise elder Olaf." Rutherford then led the royals to a lodge and parted the curtains in the doorway. "Great and wise Olaf, snow princess here with royals from Canterlot. She says they family."

Olaf was a scraggly yak with white-and-gray fur. He looked more elderly than any of the other yaks. He also wore regalia suited for shamans and some gold jewelry on his horns and beard. Olaf walked slowly towards them and said, "A pleasure to meet you, Your Highnesses." He then put his hoof under Snow Pea's chin and inspected her. After he was done, he smiled, "Yes, I do believe that she is the one."

Snowy asked, "'The one'? The one what?"

Olaf explained, "The snow princess destined to defeat the dark forces once and for all."

Spike said, "The dark forces?"

"Why, the Windigos and the Umbrum, of course."

Sunset said, "But Star Swirl defeated them a long time ago."

Olaf said, "Ah, but the Umbrum are still lurking about, aren't they? Star Swirl only weakened the dark forces, but they haven't been purged from this world yet. Only the snow princess can do that."

Screwball said, "Why does everyone keep saying that Snow Pea is a snow princess? I mean, I get the snow and ice powers and that she got them from the Windigos…"

Olaf remarked, "Exactly. She got her powers from the Windigos. She has a link to those foul beasts."

Discord asked, "How exactly is that helpful?"

The wise yak said, "Because her magic carries a trace of them, she would know their weak spots. The Umbrum are close relatives of the Windigos, so Snow Pea might have an advantage over them. I also sense a good and kind heart in the young filly. If she maintains her innocence and never loses her way, she can rid the world of those dangerous foes."

Snow Pea was astounded by what she was hearing. She said, "I…I can?"

The wise elder yak told her, "Yes, young one. You have the power to do so. But there is a prophecy that follows." He gathered various powders from his pots and threw them into the fire. As he added the last powder, a plume of colored smoke puffed up from the fire.

He continued, "You, young princess, have light and goodness in your heart." As he said that, some of the smoke formed to create the shape of a unicorn pony and the light heart shape in its chest. When five spikes appeared on the smoke pony's head, Olaf continued, "Use the Fire Tiara to strengthen that goodness to get rid of the Umbrum." The smoke pony then blasted its horn at smoky outlines of the Umbrum.

Olaf then said, "But your mission will be far from complete. When you become of age, the Windigos will take you from your home." Snow Pea gasped at the smoky depiction of the Windigos taking the pony. "They will force you to become their queen and bring destruction to all Equestria. It will not be so easy to defeat the Windigos, however. Your powers came from them, and so that same magic will be passed down from generation to generation."

Snow Pea said in a panicked tone, "But I can't destroy my home and the homes of other ponies! Please, is there any way I can defeat the Windigos?"

Olaf answered, "There might be one way. In the darkest hour, you must strike your hoof three times and destroy time."

Snow Pea gasped at that.

Discord put his hands on his hips and said, "Well, that's very helpful."

Olaf saw that Snowy was greatly distressed, so he comforted her, "But know this, little one. Not everything means what they say. Sometimes, prophecies can be cryptic, meaning they can say one thing and yet mean another. What you might be thinking might not be what will happen."

Snow Pea, not knowing what to think, ran outside the lodge.

Meanwhile, in the Umbrum world, Rabia appeared before Belladonna and Nightmare Moon.

She told them, "The Umbrum scouts have returned, Your Majesties. They report a strange snowstorm heading in our direction."

Belladonna asked, "Strange? How strange is it?"

"They heard whinnying inside that storm."

Nightmare Moon realized, "The Windigos! They must sense that Princess Snow Pea is nearby!"

The Umbrum princess asked, "But how is that possible? The Fire Tiara practically repels the Windigos."

NMM explained, "A long time ago, the Windigos gave the young princess snow powers. Their signature is in her magic."

Belladonna put a hoof to her chin and smiled wickedly, "Well, well, well. This certainly is an interesting development. Tell me – what does she do with her powers?"

"She is afraid to even use them. She thinks she will harm everypony around her by using her magic."

Belladonna chuckled evilly, "And so she shall." She then ordered, "Nightmare Moon, follow the Windigos to Princess Snow Pea. When you find her, report back to me and take an army of Umbrum with you to capture her."

Nightmare Moon nodded, "It shall be done, Your Highness." She then flew off to follow the Windigos.

Just then, the sirens appeared. Aria Blaze asked, "So that's it? We're just going to sit here and wait?"

Belladonna answered coolly, "Trust me, Aria Blaze. The Reign of Darkness is drawing near." She then began to sing, _"I know that your powers of retention…are as wet as a warthog's backside…but thick as you are…Pay attention! My words are a matter of pride…It's clear from your vacant expressions…the lights are not all on upstairs…but we're talking queens and successions…Even you can't be caught unawares…_

 _"_ _So prepare for the chance of a lifetime…Be prepared for sensational news…A darkly new era is tiptoeing nearer…"_

Aria then sang, _"And where do we feature?"_

Belladonna sang, _"Just listen to teacher…I know it sounds sordid, but you'll be rewarded…when at last I am given my dues…and injustice deliciously squared…Be prepared!"_

Sonata cheered, "Yeah! We'll be prepared!" She then asked, "For what?"

Belladonna answered, "For the Reign of Darkness!"

"Oh, yay!"

"But first, we need to have Snow Pea on our side. And Sunset, too."

"Oh! And then we'll have _three_ princesses on our side."

"Ahem! You're forgetting me, but I'll be a _queen_ instead of a princess."

Adagio Dazzle said, "I like the sound of that. Queen Belladonna."

Sonata cheered, "Long live the queen!"

The other Umbrum joined in by chanting, "Long live the queen! Long live the queen!" They then sang, _"Queen, queen, queen, queen, queen, queen, queen…It's great that we'll soon be connected…with a queen who'll be all-time abhorred…"_

Belladonna sang, _"Of course, quid pro quo, you're expected…to take certain duties on board…The future is littered with prizes…and though I'm the main addressee…the point that I must emphasize is…you won't get a sniff without me!_

 _"_ _So prepare for the coup of the century! Be prepared for the murkiest scam! Meticulous planning…Tenacity spanning...Decades of denial…is simply why I'll be queen undisputed, respected, saluted, and seen for the wonder I am…Yes, my teeth and ambitions are bared…Be prepared!"_

The Umbrum and sirens all sang, _"Yes, our teeth and ambitions are bared..."_

Belladonna then sang with the sirens and the shadow ponies, _"_ _Be prepared!"_


	18. Ambushes

Snow Pea eventually found a statue garden, which had snow and statues in place of flowers. She couldn't really enjoy the view of the garden due to her teary vision, though. She was too distressed about what Olaf told her about the prophecy. She didn't really want to destroy time, but if she didn't, then how could she get rid of the Windigos who bestowed her with snow powers? She didn't ask to be born that way, nor did she ask to be a prophesied snow princess. She just wished that she could be somepony else.

She went to a frozen fountain and wept along its rim. When she looked at her reflection, she remembered the vision the Crystal Heart gave her. She had seen herself taming the snow and flurries and being surrounded by Windigos. Was she really going to join them and bring destruction to all of Equestria? She stomped at her reflection out of contempt, and then remembered what Olaf had told her about striking her hoof three times and destroying time. Despair overwhelmed her again and she resumed weeping on the edge of the fountain.

She thought to herself, _Who am I, really? Am I the heir to the Maredelle throne or somepony destined to freeze all of Equestria? Which princess am I? A princess on a tropical island, or a snow princess? I don't even know which one I am._

After her tears dried, she stood in silence for a few moments until she heard a strange whinnying. She looked up at the sky and her eyes widened with fright. Windigos were gliding down from the sky towards Snow Pea.

Snow Pea gasped, "Oh, no! It's them!" She then ran as she screamed, "Help! Somepony, help me! The Windigos are here!" She tried to blast them with her magic, but they dodged it easily.

She then heard Sunset's voice calling, "Snow Pea?!"

Before Snowy could respond, however, a few Windigos dived at her and flew around her. They created a snowy whirlwind strong enough to lift her off the ground.

Snow Pea could hardly see anything outside the whirlwind, but she heard Discord command, "Release my niece, you wintery ghouls!"

Outside the whirlwind, Discord snapped up a hairdryer and said, "Suck hot air, evildoers!" Blowing the dryer on the Windigos worked for a while…until they shot a cold blast at him. When he opened his eyes, he saw that most of the dryer was encased in ice. He muttered when he tossed the dryer, "Well, I guess _that_ didn't work."

Sunset shot a ray of magic at them, but it did little to deter them. She grunted, "Nothing's working!"

Just then, Discord had an idea. He warned Sunset, "I have an idea, but you're not going to like it." He then conjured up the Air Vest.

Sunset exclaimed, "What?! Discord, are you crazy?!"

"Just trust me on this!"

But just before he could clip on the first strap, a Windigo saw this and charged at him.

Screwball cried, "Daddy, look out!"

Her cry came too late, for the Windigo blew a powerful cold blast of air at Discord. He fell back on the ground with great force.

Screwy rushed to her father's side, crying, "Daddy!"

Through a small open strip in the whirlwind, Snow Pea saw that Discord could barely move and seemed to be in pain. That did it for her.

With building fury and courage, Snow Pea said, "Don't. Hurt. My. FAMIIILLLYYY!"

A great warmth soon overtook Snow Pea. She realized that the Fire Tiara was activating. She focused all her energy on her strong emotions, her love for her family, and her goodness and put all that energy into the tiara. As soon as she did that, the tiara's magic overwhelmed her. She could do nothing but stand still and feel the potent energy flowing through her.

To the royals, however, the tiara emitted a blinding brilliant amaranth glow. Each wave the tiara unleashed drove the Windigos further and further away from the royals until the wintery demons disappeared over the horizon. Moments earlier, Nightmare Moon had seen the Windigos try to abduct Snow Pea and retreated back to the Umbrum world before the Fire Tiara started unleashing its magic.

As soon as the threat was gone, the Fire Tiara gently lowered Snow Pea to the snowy ground and deactivated. The other royals and yaks opened their eyes to see Snowy barely breathing and barely alive. Her French braid had become undone during the tiara's counterattack, leaving only jagged waves of mane spilling from her head. Discord and Sunset were the first to rush to her side.

Discord breathed while he stroked Snow Pea's mane, "Snowy…"

Sunset whispered, "Oh, kiddo…"

The yak doctor emerged from the room where Snow Pea was resting. He told the royals, "She be fine. Heat from tiara not good for her, even with snow powers. She recover in one hour or two."

When the doctor left, Apple Jewel and Screwball burst into tears and embraced Sunset and Discord, respectively.

"Screwy, honey, what's wrong?" Discord asked.

Screwy choked, "Don't wear the Air Vest, Daddy. What if the same thing happens to you?"

Apple Jewel added, "Or to Aunt Sunny? She's wearing the bracelets."

Discord comforted his daughter as he stroked her coat, "Tell you what? I'm not going to wear the Air Vest. I'm worried about Snow Pea, too, but she's going to be all right. Right now, I'm just focusing on all of you. I'm going to do everything in my power to protect all of you." He then thought to himself, _Even if it means confronting my old frenemy._

Sunset comforted the girls, "Don't worry about me, girls. I'm going to be fine."

Discord then suggested, "How about we all sit by the fireside while we wait for Snow Pea to get better?"

The fillies, though still shaken up by the experience, nodded and said, "Okay."

Sunset was talking to some yaks while the rest of the royals sat by the fireplace and drinking hot cocoa.

Discord rolled his eyes and said, "Typical Sunset. Always wanting to talk up a storm instead of relaxing over a nice cup of cocoa."

Apple Jewel sipped her cocoa and remarked, "This is really good." She then yawned, "So good, it's making me fall asleep."

Spike said, "Oh, no. It's the sleeping curse again."

Discord said, "I'm on it." He snapped up the potion and gave a cup to Screwy and Jewel.

Screwy said when her energy was revitalized, "Again? I'm starting to get sick of this."

Jewel agreed, "Me, too."

Discord said, "Well, it's both a blessing and a curse that you're only half-pony."

Screwy said, "But what about Mommy? She's all pony. Why did she have to be affected?"

Jewel said, "Mine, too. I wish she was here."

"Me, too." Screwball then began to sing, _"It's hard to remember…a summer or winter…when she hasn't been there for me…A friend and companion…I can always depend on…My mother, that's who I mean…"_

Apple Jewel sang, _"I've taken for granted…seeds that she planted…She's always behind everything…"_

Both fillies sang, _"A teacher, a seeker…A both-arms outreacher…My mother, that's who I mean…"_

Spike then sang, _"Wish I could slow down…the hands of time…Keep things the way they are…"_

Discord sang, _"If she said so, I would give her the world…If I could…I would…"_

Screwball sang, _"My love and my laughter…"_

Apple Jewel sang, _"From here ever after…"_

Both fillies sang, _"Is all that she says that she needs…"_

The fillies and the fathers then sang, _"A friend and companion I can always depend on…"_

The fillies sang, _"Our mothers, that's who we mean…Our mothers, that's who we mean…"_

When the fathers pulled their daughters close to them, they finished, _"That's who they mean…"_

They sat in silence for several moments until a yak burst into the room and cried, "We under attack!"

Before Sunset, Discord, and Spike raced outside, she told the girls, "Stay inside!"

When the grown-ups exited the lodge, they were shocked at the sight before them. The Umbrum were terrorizing and literally petrifying many yaks, and at the head of the attack was none other than Nightmare Moon herself.

Nightmare Moon stepped towards them and said coolly, "Well, if this isn't the pleasant surprise."

Sunset aimed her horn at the dark princess and warned her, "We'll give you one chance to leave without a fight."

NMM pretended to ponder on this as she said, "Now, let me think. I believe my answer is a resounding 'no'. I came to retrieve Princess Snow Pea, but it would be very rewarding to capture you as well."

Discord said, "Well, you had your chance. Now face our wrath!"

"'Wrath'?" She cackled amusedly, "I'll show you wrath!" Her eyes glowed when she said that last word. She ordered the Umbrum, "Attack!"

Just then, a voice behind the royals bellowed "CHAAARRRGGGEE!"

The trio turned to see the yaks charging at the shadow ponies. Seeing that they were in the middle, Discord scooped up Spike and Sunset and said, "Up we go!"

He jumped up and floated in mid-air while the clash below them took place. Spike soon noticed that someone was missing from the conflict and said, "Uh, guys? Where's Nightmare Moon?"

An ominous voice behind them hissed, "Forget about Nightmare Moon."

They turned to see an Umbrum and Discord scowled, "Oh, not you again." With a swing of his tail, he struck the shadow pony and it fell to the ground.

Sunset remarked, "Wow. When you mean business, you _really_ mean business."

Discord said, "Well, serves them right for messing with the Lord of Cha-"

Before he could finish his sentence, he gave a yell as a bright light blinded Spike and Sunset. The twosome found themselves on the snowy ground and out of Discord's grip. When they looked at each other to see if the other was okay, they found something shocking. Discord was lying on the ground…and he was frozen in stone!

Spike cried, "Not again!"

Sunset asked, "'Again'?"

Before Spike could answer, another Umbrum turned him to stone as well!

The unicorn cried, "No!"

Just then, a group of Umbrum surrounded her and one said, "You're next, little princess."

Sunset's rage grew inside her and she shouted, "No…I'm…NOT!"

With a mighty blast from her horn, the Umbrum were repelled back. Before the shadow ponies could advance again, they heard a loud howling. They lifted themselves off the ground and flew over the walls of Yakyakistan. Sunset thought this was curious until…Her heart stopped when she saw a blue mist carrying Snow Pea and the Air Vest away!

Sunset shouted, "No! Snow Pea!"

She was powerless to give them chase and sat on the ground in despair. Just then, she heard two voices cry out, "Aunt Sunny!"

She turned to see Screwball and Apple Jewel racing out of the lodge. They were obviously shocked and terrified by the mass of statues now littering the streets of the kingdom.

Sunset took them in her arms and said, "Oh, girls! I'm so glad you're all right!"

Apple Jewel asked in near-tears, "What happened, Aunt Sunny?"

Screwball asked, "Where's Daddy?"

Sunset could find no words to answer her question. It was too heavy a burden on her heart. However, she didn't have to answer when Apple Jewel looked around and then gasped, "NO!"

Screwball followed her gaze and grew immediately cold. The girls rushed out of Sunset's arms and towards the stone statues of their fathers. Sunset couldn't bear to see the fillies hugging and crying on their dads' stone bodies.

Screwy asked with teary, pleading eyes, "Aunt Sunny, you can fix this, right?"

Jewel sobbed, "Please, Sunny. You have to help them. You have to help everyone."

Sunset hung her head and saw the bracelets on her hooves. It gave her a great idea and her confidence grew. She told her nieces, "Girls, I want you to step back for a moment."

The girls complied, only for Screwy to ask, "Is it one of those earth shakers?"

Sunset smirked, "Yes, it is."

She lifted her front hooves as they glowed white and stomped them to the ground with all her might. The earth trembled from the fierce blow and suddenly, the stone crackled on the statues. Soon, pieces of stone fell to the ground, revealing only the flesh of the victims. Once they were free of their stone prisons, the victims gasped and fell to the ground.

Discord gasped, "Turned to stone again! Was that, like, the third time?!"

Spike chuckled wryly, "Now I know how you feel."

Screwy and Jewel ran to their dads, crying, "Daddy!"

While the fathers embraced their daughters, Rutherford grunted, "We humbly thank you, Princess Sunset. You use Earth Bracelets for good. You seem to be right wearer after all."

Sunset hung her head and she said, "But I didn't save Snow Pea."

The yaks and royals were all shocked to hear this. Rutherford demanded, "What happened to snow princess?!"

Sunset explained in a vulnerable tone, "I was surrounded by the Umbrum and Nightmare Moon grabbed both Snow Pea _and_ the Air Vest while I was busy repelling the shadow ponies. I am so sorry, Your Highness."

Before Rutherford could reprimand her, Olaf said to the prince, "Save your harsh judgments, Your Grace." He then told Sunset, "You can still right this wrong, young princess. Use the bracelets to lead you to the snow princess. You've seen what they do, right?" Olaf gave her a wink, and quickly Sunset got the message.

Sunset bowed her head while saying, "I shall rescue Snow Pea from the evil clutches of the Umbrum."

Rutherford snorted, "You better."

Sunset walked to the open gates and closed her eyes. She concentrated on the Earth Bracelets and Snow Pea simultaneously. Before she knew it, she zipped into the far reaches of the Frozen North.

Rutherford gave a small smile and said, "She noble one. She fine princess of Canterlot."

He looked at the royals, who were in a snowmobile fit for four. Discord answered, "But of course. She _is_ Twilight's twin." He then drove the snowmobile out of Yakyakistan.

Sunset had let the bracelets take complete control of her legs. All she could do was focus on finding Snow Pea. After a while, she jumped over a snowy crest, and when she landed, the snow around her burst into a cloud of white. After the cloud dissipated, Sunset stood in complete awe of the red crystal before her.

She thought, _So this is where the Umbrum live. I never thought I'd get to see it in real life._

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard whirring behind her. She turned to see a snowmobile jumping onto the ground…before she was covered by the snow it expelled!

Discord removed his goggles and said, "Well, here we are." He looked around before asking, "Huh. Where's Sunset?"

Sunset's head emerged from the snow and she sputtered crossly, "I'm right here!"

Jewel apologized, "Sorry."

Sunset got out of the snow and said while she shook her hooves, "That's okay, Apple Jewel. At least we're here."

Spike gulped, "You mean there?"

Discord said, "Spike, did you zone out? We're going to go in, rescue Snow Pea, and fix this darned mess!"

 ** _AN: The song "My Mother" is from the movie_ The Chipmunk Adventure _._**


	19. The Umbrum World

**_AN: Watch out! This is a big-bang chapter!_**

Snow Pea groaned as her eyes fluttered open. She looked around her surroundings and noticed that it was darker than usual. She turned and gasped when she saw Nightmare Moon.

NMM said, "I see you're finally up, young princess."

Snow Pea tried to move, but soon realized that chains held her back. She pleaded, "Aunt Luna, I know you're in there! You have to fight this."

A sinister chuckle sent shivers up Snowy's spine. She turned and saw Belladonna, who had just appeared from a shadowy smoke. The Umbrum princess said, "I'm afraid your precious Luna is gone, princess. There is only Nightmare Moon."

Snow Pea shouted in protest, "You're lying! I know she's in there somewhere! I can feel it!"

Nightmare Moon said, "Well, if you want Princess Luna back, you'll have to join us."

This shocked Snowy and then she cried, "Never! I won't use my snow powers to hurt anypony!"

"Do you even know just _how_ you got your powers?"

"My parents told me enough! They said the Windigos gave me snow powers."

When Snow Pea stood silent for a few moments, Nightmare Moon flashed an evil grin, "Admit it, you're curious. You want to know just _why_ the Windigos gave you your powers. Go ahead and tell the tiara what happened the day you got your powers."

Snow Pea eventually caved and sighed, "Fire Tiara…"

Belladonna urged, "Yes, go on."

"…show me what happened the day I got my powers."

The tiara complied and glowed before projecting a screen of the Crystal Empire before the three of them. Almost instantly, Snow Pea was mesmerized by the events playing before her eyes…

A long time ago, Button Mash and Sweetie Belle attended their first Crystal Faire. Button was in total amazement of the beauty around him.

He smiled, "Oh, wow! It's all so amazing, Sweetie Belle! I love it!"

His wife chuckled, "I knew you would." She then rubbed her baby bump - which was starting to show - and said, "And I'm sure Baby will, too."

Button smiled and rubbed her stomach with her. He said, "I know. Just think, Sweetie Belle. Just a few more months and our new son or daughter will be born."

"Admit it. You want a colt."

"Honestly, I'll be happy with either a colt or a filly."

Sweetie chuckled as she rubbed her muzzle against his, "Oh, you…" When they heard trumpets blast, she gasped playfully, "Come on, Button! We have to get to the dais in time to see the tribute to the Crystal Heart."

"Way ahead of you!"

They both laughed as they raced each other to the dais. It reminded Snow Pea of the time she spent with Sunset at the Faire.

On the screen, Discord saw the royal couple panting from their pretend race and said, "What's the rush, you two? Sweetie Belle has to be careful in her condition."

Sweetie panted, "I'm fine, Discord. Don't worry."

He scoffed, "I've been worrying about you every day ever since that near-death incident."

Twilight shushed them, "Shh! It's starting."

The crowd of ponies became quiet when Princess Cadance and Shining Armor walked up to the dais. Cadance addressed them, "Welcome, everypony! It is such an honor to be here today, especially since this is the first Crystal Faire my husband and I are ruling this fine kingdom. Of course, none of it would've been possible without him." She wrapped her hoof around his and he smiled at her.

Shining Armor finished, "With love, anything is possible. Use that love and goodness in your heart today and spread it across Equestria."

Within moments, the ponies focused on their positive emotions and used them to energize the Crystal Heart. It filled Snow Pea with amazement that she could actually see what wonders the Heart beheld without going through any of the trauma she experienced before.

The image then cut to her parents sleeping together in the guest room. Sweetie Belle moaned and asked Button, "Button, can you get a glass of water, please?"

Button groaned groggily, "Sure, honey." He then got out of bed and went out the door.

Sweetie Belle stayed asleep in her bed until she shivered, "Button, I feel cold. Can you close the window, please?" When she heard an eerie howl, her eyes flew open with fright and she asked worriedly, "Button?" When she saw the Windigos, she screamed.

Button rushed to the bedroom at breakneck speed, but he arrived too late. He cried out, "No!"

The image dissolved and showed yet another moment. Discord, in police attire, was putting police tape all over the guest room.

Apple Bloom asked, "Discord, are you sure it's necessary?"

He replied, "Of course it is! This is the scene of the crime!"

Scootaloo pointed out, "Um, how can we investigate it if we're _outside_ the room?"

Discord realized she was right. He had taped the entire doorway with police tape. He face-palmed and said, "Barn it!"

A guard then rushed up to the royals and said, "Your Highness! We have received reports from several ponies that Princess Sweetie Belle was taken by Windigos!"

The princesses gasped, "Windigos?!"

Discord sputtered, "Well, what could they possibly want with Sweetie Belle?!"

Button said with a determined look on his face, "I don't know, but I almost lost her once. I'm not going to lose her again."

The screen changed to Sweetie Belle being frightened by the Windigos swarming her. She asked, "Why…why did you bring me here? What do you want with me?"

One Windigo sinisterly chuckled, "It's not _you_ we want. It's the unborn child in your womb." Snow Pea grew immediately cold when she heard a Windigo speaking for the first time.

Sweetie Belle shouted, "Never! You will never have my baby!"

Another Windigo said, "But you don't understand, princess. We need a vessel to spread our powers across Equestria. You see, we can only use our powers if there's hatred and anger. But your beloved country has little to spare, so we need a pony in whom we can instill our powers."

"But why mine?"

A third Windigo answered, "Trust us, princess. We originally wanted the crystal princess's child, but she is not with one yet. So when you came along, we saw this as the perfect opportunity. There were other young candidates for the job, but they were of - shall we say - lower class. What we really want is a pony of royal blood. They say that royalty has due influence over the citizens. And since the Umbrum had a princess to lead them, we thought we could do the same."

Just then, a Windigo sentry burst into the room and said, "Intruders at the southern gate!"

One of the Windigos turned to Sweetie Belle and smirked, "Ah. Your little rescue party, no doubt." He ordered two of the Windigos, "Frost! Sleet! Make sure you watch the princess while the rest of us take care of important business."

When most of the Windigos left, Sweetie Belle started to moan and crumple to the floor. She groaned, "Oh! The baby! Something's wrong!" When Sleet and Frost leaned in towards her, Sweetie Belle unleashed a blast of magic and repelled the Windigos. Sweetie Belle said as she strode past the unconscious ghouls, "Some guards." She told her unborn child, "See? Your mommy can whip some serious hide."

Snow Pea thought, _You got that right, Mom._

On the screen, Sweetie came to an icy slope. She slid down and skidded to a stop in a room with icy mirrors. She walked towards a mirror and to her surprise, she saw Canterlot. She gasped, "Canterlot?"

She went towards another and saw the Everfree Kingdom. She did the same for almost every mirror and then remarked, "Wow. The Windigos can see all over Equestria!"

Just then, she heard ruckus outside. She started racing towards the opposite doorway until she started slipping. Sweetie cried, "Whoa! I forgot! I'm on ice!"

She held her hoof out to use the nearest wall to brake her sliding. When her hoof made contact with the wall…

"Oww!"

Sweetie felt pain slice through her hoof and a cold rush course through her. She saw that an ice crystal had pierced her hoof and she used her magic to pluck it out. Holding her hoof up in the air, Sweetie slowly made her way down the hall.

The screen changed to show Button scouring the icy halls for his true love. He called out, "Sweetie?! Sweetie Belle?! Sweetie, where are you?!"

Just then, he heard a small sound down the hall. He stood his guard until he could make out a distinct and whispery voice shiver out, "Button?"

He knew who it was and raced to see his beloved wife. However, he skidded to a stop when he saw that Sweetie Belle has collapsed to the floor. Her mane had become snowy white and frost had decorated much of her body. She was shivering uncontrollably, but when she noticed Button, she said in a quivering voice, "Button…I'm glad you're here."

Button asked, "What happened to you, Sweetie?"

Just then, ominous chuckles and whinnies filled the air. Button's pupils shrunk when he saw the Windigos approaching them.

A Windigo said, "She has touched an ice crystal, so now the snow magic runs in her. She will freeze to death…unless you were to agree to an alternative."

Sweetie shivered, "Button…They want our child…Don't let them take our baby…"

Button said, "But I can't live without you."

"Button…save the kingdom…I'm not worth it."

"But you are, Sweetie Belle. You and our baby." He turned to the Windigos and said, "You've got yourself a deal, but only on one condition. Spare Sweetie Belle's life so that she may raise the child with me."

The Windigos nodded at each other and then one said, "So be it."

There was a glow surrounding Sweetie Belle and almost instantly, she was healed.

The head Windigo said, "The ice magic that plagued you now lives in the child. We shall collect it when the time comes."

The screen then dissipated, leaving Snow Pea utterly shocked by what she saw.

Belladonna smirked, "Educating. Very educating." She then turned to Snow Pea and said, "Do you see, young princess? You were meant to do the Windigos' handiwork. It is your destiny."

Snow Pea let out a sob and then shouted, "NO!"

Unbeknownst to her, the Fire Tiara shot out a ray of magic and it ricocheted across the room. Belladonna used this to her advantage and said, "You see? Your magic is powerful. You simply can't let all that power go to wa-"

Just then, the brilliant amaranth beam of magic hit Belladonna's neckpiece and she let out a yell. Before she knew it, Snow Pea saw images before her eyes. She saw Radiant Hope entering a red crystal and then facing three horse-like creatures. Snow Pea surmised that those three were the sirens. She found them unsettling. She then saw Radiant Hope signing her name on a piece of paper before being enveloped by a black sphere. Snow Pea was shocked to see who came out of the blackness then.

When Snow Pea snapped out of her trance, she said, "You're the pony in the window."

Belladonna sneered, "So what if I am?"

"You're Radiant Hope, one of the lost princesses."

"I no longer go by that name. I am now simply known as Belladonna, princess of the Umbrum."

"But why? Why did you become evil?"

"'Why?' I'll tell you why! Your grandfather rejected me! My only friend turned away from me! And if that wasn't enough, your grandfather turned my friend to stone! I gave up any pain I had because of them and learned that the darkness is so much stronger than any feeling at all."

"You can still change for the better! It's not too late for you to turn back into Radiant Hope!"

"I left that past behind. I must continue towards my future. A future of darkness and fear."

"You can't do that! The Umbrum and Windigos will rule the land forever!"

Belladonna smiled evilly, "That's the idea." She then began to sing, _"I realize that you've always been an outcast…Not everyone has your magic, I should think…To find a pony that's like you…I've met one or maybe two…But the good ones disappear before I blink…"_

Snow Pea's heart skipped a beat when the Umbrum creeped out of the shadows, ominously chanting, _"Oh, wuh-oh-wuh, oh…Oh, wuh-oh-wuh…"_

Belladonna sang, _"Now, I understand you have your reservations…"_

 _"_ _Oh-wuh…"_

 _"_ _It's hard to have magic as strange as yours…"_

 _"_ _Oh-oh-oh-oh…"_

 _"_ _But if you keep it in chains…Well, I think I've made it plain…What will happen if your powers are ignored!"_

 _"_ _Oh, wuh-oh-wuh, oh…Oh, wuh-oh-wuh…Unleash the magic, unleash the magic…The tiara's made from flame…ah, ah-ah-ah… Star Swirl has used it, maybe abused it…ah-ah-ah…So then why can't you do the same? Oh, wuh-oh-wuh, oh…Oh, wuh-oh-wuh…"_

 ** _"_** _Call it power, call it magic…If we're beat, it will be tragic…More important is the pony we'll have lost…"_

 _"_ _Oh-oh-oh-oh…"_

 _"_ _A chance like this won't come again…You'll regret not giving in…Isn't finally belonging worth the cost?"_

 _"_ _Oh, wuh-oh-wuh, oh…Oh, wuh-oh-wuh…Unleash the magic, unleash the magic…We're not friends here after all…Our only interest in this business…ah-ah-ah…is seeing all Equestria fall…Oh, wuh-oh-wuh, oh…Oh, wuh-oh-wuh, oh…"_

 ** _"_** _What I'm suggesting's very simple…And since it's win-win on all scores…You only want to learn about those magic powers of yours…And as for me and all the others…We only want what we deserve…That darkness will rule the land and my…"_

Belladonna and the Umbrum all sang, _"…legacy will endure!"_

The Umbrum princess then shot a ray of dark magic at Snow Pea, only for the younger princess to use a force field. Snowy protested, "No, I will never join you!"

As Snow Pea was saying that, the Umbrum sang in the background, _"Unleash the magic, unleash the magic…"_

Belladonna glared at her and merely said, "Hmm…Such a pity. I suppose we'll have to use another measure. You know, Nightmare Moon didn't take just you from Yakyakistan."

Snowy asked, "What do you mean?"

As the conversation was happening, the Umbrum sang in the background, _"If we're beat, then it's a crime…But we can win it if she begins it…ah-ah-ah…"_

Belladonna smirked as she said, "Oh, you'll see." She then ordered the Umbrum, "Bring out the Air Vest!"

As she spoke her words, the Umbrum sang, _"Belladonna will succeed this time…"_ They then began chanting, _"Unleash the magic, free the magic now…"_

Snow Pea shrieked, "No, you can't! You can't do that!"

Nightmare Moon held her back with her magic and said, "You had your chance, little filly. Now you must witness the consequences."

Belladonna sang, _"Imagine all I'll do by setting it free…"_

The Umbrum chanted, _"Unleash the magic, free the magic now…"_

 _"_ _And now taking over depends on me…"_

Snow Pea's heart dropped when she saw a couple of Umbrum carrying in the Air Vest. She tried to use her magic to stop all of this, but her own fear and Nightmare Moon's magic were too strong.

Belladonna then sang as she used her magic to levitate the vest to her, _"And what doors would open if I were to use it…"_ She finished as she was putting it on, _"Yes, the magic's what I really want to see…"_

The Umbrum chanted, _"Unleash the magic, free the magic…Unleash the magic, free the magic…"_

Snow Pea screamed, "NOOO!"

 _"_ _Now!"_

In a sphere of white light mingled with dark streaks, Belladonna was lifted off the ground. Much to her horror, Snow Pea saw bat wings emerge from the Umbrum princess's silhouette! The filly almost fainted when she saw Belladonna lowering to the ground with actual bat wings now sticking out of the Air Vest.


	20. Time to Shine

The Umbrum castle was surrounded by a forest of thorns. This made it extremely difficult for the five royals to pass through. Discord tried snapping his talon to part the forest in the middle, but the mass of thorns merged once again. He tried flying a paper airplane over the thorns, but they snared the airplane before it could reach the entrance.

Spike asked, "Any more brilliant ideas?"

Discord smirked, "Well, I do have one more trick up my sleeve…" He conjured up a bag of seeds and said, "These are plunderseeds. They can grow into monstrous vines that will be sure to choke the life out of those pesky thorns." He threw the seeds at the thorns and said, "Feast, my little pretties! Feast on that forest of thorns!" He then popped a plunderseed in his mouth and chewed on it.

Sunset grimaced and said, "Uh, Discord? Should you be eating that?"

Discord replied while chewing, "Why not? Plunderseeds are delicious." When he swallowed, he shivered with pleasure.

Screwball pointed to the mass of thorns and cried, "Look! I think the plunderseeds are growing!"

Sure enough, black vines with teal thorns began to sprout from the ground and wrapped themselves around the thorns.

Apple Jewel said, "But I thought they'd be like Venus flytraps."

Discord said, "Wait for it…Wait for it…" He waited for the vines to choke the thorns, but they only seemed to add to the problem. When the vines didn't do anything, Discord said, "Oh, come on! I was sure that would work!"

Spike then sneezed and breathed fire out. When Discord saw that some of the thorns burned, his smile curved wickedly at the thought of his new idea.

Discord told him, "Spike, open wide."

Spike asked, "Wha-?"

Before Spike could finish his sentence, Discord stepped on the dragon's foot and Spike's mouth flew open like a trashcan lid. Discord conjured up a jar of peppers and poured them into Spike's mouth.

When Spike's face began to burn red, Discord grabbed him and said, "Stand back!"

He opened Spike's mouth and used him as a flamethrower. Great flames burst from the dragon's mouth and burned down the entire mass of vines and thorns into piles of ashes.

When Discord put him on the ground, Spike coughed, "That was _hot!_ "

Discord smirked, "But of course. I used Mare-olina Reapers."

The dragon hoarsely requested, "Could I have some water, please?"

"Coming right up!" Discord conjured up a fire hose and aimed it at Spike.

Spike cried, "No, wait!" His plea was ignored and he got sprayed with a powerful blast of water.

Apple Jewel cried out, "Daddy, are you okay?"

Screwball remarked, "I guess that's one way to douse a fire."

Spike sputtered out water and said, "Daddy's…fine, honey…I only wish Discord wouldn't resort to extreme measures."

Discord countered, "Hey, these are desperate times here!"

Sunset agreed, "Well, he's got you there."

Once the royals entered the castle, Discord said, "I say we should split up. Sunset, you take Screwball, and Spike, you take Apple Jewel."

Spike asked, "But what about you?"

Screwball asked, "Yeah, why are you going it alone?"

Discord answered, "Well, let's just say I got an old score to settle."

Without another word, he went down a hallway. This left the others worried, but they decided to take separate paths as well.

As Spike and Apple Jewel were walking, Jewel asked her dad, "Daddy, what do you think Uncle Discord meant by 'old score'?"

Spike said, "Well, he could be talking about Snow Pea being kidnapped. Oh, that and maybe what happened to his friend."

"What _did_ happen to her?"

"Well, he told us that she was gone because of Belladonna. That's all he said. I'm guessing she must've been taken…or worse." Honestly, he did not want to think about that particular thought.

Meanwhile, Sunset and Screwball were taking another path. Screwy then asked, "I'm worried about Daddy. He looked serious when he walked off."

Sunset said, "I'm sure your dad's worried about Snow Pea. He wants to find her and set everything right."

Just then, they heard howling. The girls stopped in their tracks and Sunset spread her hoof in front of her niece to shield her.

Screwy asked in a frightened tone, "Is it the Umbrum, Aunt Sunny?"

Sunny responded, "Stay close to me, Screwball." She lit her horn to shed light where they were now. She stayed on guard, alert for any activity. Suddenly…

Screwball shrieked as she was pulled away at lightning speed, "EEE! Aunt Sunny!"

Sunset turned, only to catch a glimpse of Screwball before she disappeared into total darkness. Sunset panted as she raced towards the darkness, "Screwball?! Screwy, where are you?!" Her desperate cries went unanswered.

Spike and Apple Jewel continued to walk down the hall when suddenly, an Umbrum charged into Spike and knocked him off his feet. Spike could barely register anything when he heard his daughter cry, "DADDY!"

In that instant, he got up and found that he was now alone.

Snow Pea hung her head in despair as two Umbrum guards stood watch of her. She didn't know what to do at this point. Belladonna and Nightmare Moon had gone after Snowy's family as soon as they heard that the royals had arrived. She wanted to help her family, but she didn't want to endanger their lives now that she knew why she was given her powers. She was meant to do either one of two things: destroy the Windigos and time with them, or bring wintery destruction to all of Equestria. Neither choice seemed good at this juncture.

Just then, the Fire Tiara glowed dimly and brought up every positive memory Snow Pea made within the last 48 hours. Time stilled for her as she remembered every encouraging word her family and friends had spoken to her.

 _You always have the power to change your future by changing yourself for the better._

 _Just believe in yourself, and you can do incredible things with your powers. You don't need to be ashamed of them. They're a part of who you are. I'm sure your parents think the same thing._

 _I also sense a good and kind heart in the young filly. If she maintains her innocence and never loses her way, she can rid the world of those dangerous foes._

 _If your magic was strong because you were scared, just think what it might do if you were brave._

Then came the memory of her mother being healed of the ice magic. Snow Pea knew it was transferred into her, but then she looked at it in a new way.

She thought, _Wait a minute. I saved my mother. I bet I can save my family, too! Maybe I_ can _use my powers for good instead of evil!_

It seemed like no time had passed at all for Snow Pea, but it all happened within a moment. As soon as the Umbrum noticed the tiara was glowing, they were alarmed by this.

One of them warned her, "Don't try to escape, princess."

She heard his warning and the tiara stopped glowing. Then, she had an idea.

She coughed and lowered to the ground, "*cough* *cough* I don't feel too good. I think…I think I'm going to faint."

When the Umbrum leaned in towards her, she instantly froze them, encasing them in blocks of ice. Snow Pea smiled, "What do you know? It worked. Thanks, Mom."

She then used her magic to turn her chains into ice and broke them with a simple thought. She carefully walked out of the room before she was met by two more Umbrum guards!

One of the guards asked threateningly, "And where do you think you're doing?"

Fear coursed through Snow Pea for a bit before she remembered something. Her mother had told her that singing could help her overcome her fears. Snowy didn't know why, but a song Countess Coloratura had taught her during Hearth's Warming popped into her head.

She began to sing, _"I'm here to show you who I am…"_ This confused the Umbrum as she continued singing, _"Throw off the veil, it's finally time…There's more to me than glitz and glam, oh-whoa…And now I feel my stars align…"_

As she sang the last word, her horn glowed brightly and the guards became encased in ice.

Snowy continued as she ran down the hallway, _"For I had believed what I was sold…I did all the things that I was told…But all that has changed, and now I'm bold…'Cause I know…"_

She then iced the floor and skated on it. She continued to do so as she sang, _"That I am just a pony…I make mistakes from time to time…But now I know the real me…And put my heart out on the line…And let the magic in my heart stay true…"_

Her eyes shrunk when she saw the staircase as she sang, _"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa…"_ She then iced the staircase and slid down it. _"And let the magic in my heart stay true…Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa…"_ When she came to the bottom, she conjured up a pile of snow in front of the staircase. She sang before she ran into the pile, _"Just like the magic inside of you…"_

She jumped out of the snow mere moments later and sang, _"And now I see those colors…Right before my eyes…I hear my voice so clearly…And I know that it is right…"_

When she saw an Umbrum pop out from the side, Snow Pea was a little startled, but continued to sing, _"They thought I was weak, but I am strong…"_ When she sang the last word, she threw a snowball at the Umbrum. _"They sold me the world, but they were wrong…"_ She threw a snowball at another Umbrum.

She sang, _"And now that I'm back, I still belong…"_ She then saw an Umbrum several feet in front of her. _"'Cause I know…"_ As she sang that verse, Snow Pea conjured up a snowball on the ground and enlarged it, jumping on it before it got too big. The snowball smashed the Umbrum in its path and trapped it in the mass of snow. _"That I am just a pony…I make mistakes from time to time…But now I know the real me…And put my heart out on the line…And let the magic in my heart stay true…Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa…And let the magic in my heart stay true…"_

When she saw a wall, her eyes shrunk as she continued, _"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa…"_ When the snowball crashed against the wall, Snow Pea emerged from the pile of snow unharmed. She finished, _"Just like the magic inside of you…Just like the magic inside of you..."_

She then heard voices heading in her direction, so she looked around and saw a vent. She jumped in and slid down the tube.

Discord was walking down the hall when he heard a peculiar noise. He conjured up a detector and said, "Curiouser and curiouser." He pointed it to the nearest vent and found that something was coming-

 _KA-WHUMPT!_

When Discord came to, he saw a familiar white filly on his chest.

"Snow Pea!" he cried as he embraced her.

Snowy smiled, "Uncle Discord! I'm so glad to see you!"

Discord asked as he set her on the floor, "But however did you manage to escape?"

She said proudly, "I used my snow powers for good instead of evil."

Discord smiled widely, "Oh, Snow Pea, I'm so proud of you!" He then pointed to her snow-covered flank as he said, "Although the snow on your flank gives indication. Let me wipe it off for you."But as soon as he wiped off a bit of snow on the left side, he saw something that surprised him. He let out a small gasp before whispering, "No, it can't be, can it?" He then wiped off the snow from both sides of Snow Pea's flank. He gave a small squeal and smiled widely.

His niece asked, "What is it, Uncle Discord?"

Discord pulled back and smiled delightfully, "Look behind you."

Snow Pea did so and gasped in surprise. What decorated her flank was a stream of snowflakes that had a swirl on the right end and had a large snowflake in the center of the swirl.

She excitedly cried, "I got my cutie mark!" She then jumped for joy, "I got my cutie mark!"

Discord remarked, "And at such a young age, too. I'm impressed." He added in a low voice, "Now I have to urge Screwball to get _her_ cutie mark." He then spoke again in a normal voice, "Well, I guess there's only one thing left to do…" He then pulled out the hoof mirror, "…call the others about the wonderful news."

Before Discord could do anything else with the mirror, Snow Pea said, "There's something you should know: Belladonna is really Radiant Hope."

Discord froze then and there, shocked at the revelation that Snow Pea found out. He let the paw holding the mirror drop to the side, still clenching the delicate accessory. He turned to Snow Pea in absolute shock and breathed, "How did you…?"

Snowy explained, "The tiara let out some magic and bounced around the room before it hit Hope's neckpiece. That's when I saw flashes of a darkness turning Hope bad. But I don't understand. You said that Radiant Hope was gone."

Discord said, "Now wait a minute. I never told you or the girls about Radiant Hope. I only told Sunset and Spike."

"I…kinda listened in."

He sighed, "Well…Remember when I detected Belladonna and her darkness? That's how I knew she and Radiant Hope were the same pony. What I really meant about Hope was that she was lost to the darkness that was Belladonna. When she became evil, she created a new name and a new personality for herself. She was no longer the pony I remembered. The pony I knew was a princess, a healer…a friend."

"But that doesn't mean she can't be Radiant Hope again."

"Is there any hope left for her?"

"Yes, there is, and she's still inside Belladonna."

"But how? How can there be anything left of Hope in her?"

"Because there's still Aunt Luna in Nightmare Moon."

Discord knew that Snow Pea would not be convinced otherwise. He chuckled and rubbed her head, "You sure have your parents' determination. They would be so proud of you."

Just then, they heard noises at the end of the hallway. Snow Pea gasped, "I think the Umbrum found me!"

"Okay, on my mark, throw snowballs at them." He waited till the sounds were closest to them and then he shouted, "Now!"

Snow Pea closed her eyes and fired snowballs at the strangers. When she heard grunts, she looked up…and was surprised to see Spike and Sunset lying there! She said, "Oh, no…"

Discord tried to stifle his giggles when he and Snowy went to the other royals.

Snowy asked Sunset, "Are you okay?"

Sunset said as she and Spike wiped snow off their faces, "Yeah, we're fine."

Spike asked, "What happened?"

Discord then burst out in laughter and said, "Oh, that was just too funny! I'll replay it for you." He then conjured up a screen and it showed Snow Pea firing snowballs at Spike and Sunset when the latter two were rounding the corner. Snow Pea could feel herself blushing with embarrassment.

Spike admonished Snowy, "You hit us! I can't believe you hit us!"

Snow Pea defended, "Well, we thought you were Umbrum!"

Sunset praised, "See, Snow Pea? I knew you could do a lot with your powers."

Discord said, "If you ask me, she should've just frozen you."

Sunset and Snow Pea cried, "What?!"

The draconequus clarified, "Well, in case it wasn't you or Spike."

Sunset said, "Okay, now's not the time. We need to find the girls and soon."

Discord said, "The girls?" He crossed his arms and asked sternly, "What happened?"

Spike answered nervously, "Well, see…The Umbrum got them."

Discord shouted, "What?! You let my daughter get captured by conniving shadow ponies?!"

"Hey, my daughter is captured, too!"

Sunset asked, "Guys, where's Snow Pea?"

They all looked around and saw that Snowy was gone.

Discord face-palmed, "Oh, great! We lost another one!"

Just then, they heard Snowy's voice shout out, "I'm right here!" The adults peeked around the corner and saw Snowy with the Fire Tiara glowing. She told them, "The Fire Tiara can lead us straight to Screwball and Apple Jewel! Come on!"

The royals followed Snow Pea as they ran down the hall and eventually came to the throne room. They stopped in surprise when they saw the Umbrum army, Belladonna, the sirens, and Nightmare Moon before them.

Belladonna smirked, "Welcome, Canterlot royals. We've been expecting you. We've already met your darling daughters."

When she stepped aside to show them something, the royals' – especially Discord's – hearts dropped. Spike put his claws to his mouth and had tears in his eyes. He reached out an arm and whispered, "No, Jewel."

To the royals' horror, Screwball and Apple Jewel were now imprisoned in stone.

 ** _AN: The scene where Snow Pea shoots snowballs at Sunset and Spike is a nod to a scene from the_** **Star Wars Rebels** ** _episode "Stealth Strike"._**

 ** _Yes, I did my research on peppers. I found that the hottest ones to date are Carolina Reapers. I just took the liberty of tweaking the name a bit. ;)_**

 ** _I've released a picture of Snow Pea's cutie mark on DeviantArt. Here's the link:_** ** _art/Snow-Pea-s-Cutie-Mark-593049150?ga_submit_new=10%253A1456437703_**


	21. Ray of Hope

Discord had never wanted this to happen to his daughter, his only daughter. He did not want her to endure the same fate he had now endured three times. He wanted to keep her from suffering the experience of being turned to stone. Discord fought back tears and closed his eyes to keep from looking at his still daughter.

Belladonna scoffed, "Oh, save the weeping, Discord. You went through the same thing yourself."

That did it for Discord. Like when he was almost defeated by Nightmare Moon, all the despair and pain inside of him turned into pure rage and hatred. His eyes reopened with a newfound fire in them and he growled, "That…was a huge mistake."

The Umbrum princess chuckled, "Why? Because you couldn't save your daughter?"

"No. Because the only way to get her back…" As he said that, yellow magic glowed on his hands and morphed into energy swords. "…is by defeating you!"

He gave a yell and charged at her. Belladonna flew at him and created an energy sword from her magic. The two clashed in mid-air and dueled with swords.

Meanwhile, the other royals faced off the other four villainesses. After a few moments, Nightmare Moon shouted, "Attack!"

The Umbrum soon tackled with the royals. Miraculously, Sunset, Spike, and Snow Pea managed to hold them at bay. But whenever Snow Pea trapped the Umbrum in ice, the sirens used their singing to break them free. Sunset noticed this and told her niece, "Snow Pea, the sirens will only keep breaking the Umbrum out of ice unless we do something."

Snowy told her aunt, "I'm on it!"

The sirens and Nightmare Moon were watching the battle from the platform. Sonata said as she was chewing popcorn, "You gotta admit: this is a cool show."

Aria held up her hoof and looked around the skirmish, saying, "Speaking of 'cool', where's Princess Snow Pea?"

A small voice said, "I'm right here!" Snow Pea jumped up and froze the sirens in one huge block of ice.

Nightmare Moon then appeared before Snow Pea and snarled, "That was a foolish thing to do, young princess. Now face my wrath!"

Snow Pea whispered, "I'm sorry, Aunt Luna." She then conjured up a snowy gust of wind that froze NMM's horn.

The dark alicorn gasped, "What?"

Snow Pea proceeded to encase NMM in a dome of ice. NMM yelled and pounded at the ice, but the ice would not break.

Discord had paused his duel with Belladonna for a moment to look at Snow Pea. He remarked, "Wow. I didn't know she could do that."

Belladonna growled and resumed their fight.

After about a minute, Spike was starting to lose his strength – and his fire. He began to gasp, "There are…still too many…of them…What should we do?"

Sunset thought for a moment until she got a great idea. She told Spike, "Why not get rid of them all at once?"

Spike and Snow Pea looked at her with confused looks and said, "Huh?"

"Look, just follow my lead." Sunset then ran to a wall and kicked it, leaving a hole to the outside. She shouted to Discord, "Hey, Discord! See if you can create a strong wind!"

Belladonna heard Sunset and scoffed, "Ha! You foal! I am wearing the Air Vest, so only _I_ have control over the winds and the air!"

Discord realized something and smirked. When Belladonna turned to face Discord, he had vanished. Just then, Discord flashed up under Belladonna and tickled her stomach.

He smiled, "Tickle, tickle, tickle!"

When Belladonna started laughing uncontrollably, her wings flapped in excitement, creating a tornado in the process.

Sunset cried, "Perfect! Thanks, Discord!" She then used her magic to grab the tornado and drag it to the hole to the outside. She shouted to Spike, "Spike, grab onto something really sturdy and don't let go of Snow Pea!"

Spike then dug his claws into the floor and scooped up Snow Pea. He told her, "Hang tight, Snowy! It's going to be a bumpy ride!"

Sunset then tilted the tornado towards the Umbrum and the shadow ponies got sucked into it. In the midst of it all, Belladonna stopped laughing when Discord stopped tickling her. She soon found herself being pulled into the tornado. Discord, not wanting to see his corrupted friend being destroyed with the other Umbrum, conjured up a cage to trap her. He then used his magic to push the cage to the platform and caused it to shatter the ice prisons, knocking all of the villainesses out cold.

When Sunset felt she had gotten all of the Umbrum in the tornado, she pulled it outside and shouted, "Okay, Snow Pea! I need you!"

Snow Pea jumped out of Spike's arm and rushed to her aunt's side. She asked, "What do I do, Aunt Sunny?"

Sunset grunted from the stress of holding the tornado, "Ungh! Remember what you did to drive away the Windigos! Do it again for the Umbrum!"

While Snow Pea focused on her emotions and the tiara, Sunset spun the tornado around. She then told Snowy, "Okay, ready?"

When she saw the Fire Tiara glow, Sunset took that as a "yes" and then shouted, "NOW!"

With all her might, Sunset threw the tornado into the air. It was a safe distance away from the castle when Snow Pea fired a blue ray of magic and destroyed the Umbrum with a blast.

Sunset cheered as she twirled Snow Pea around, "You did it, Snow Pea! You destroyed the Umbrum! Now _that's_ a mark of a true hero."

Spike then told the girls, "Uh, guys? There's one still left."

The girls peered inside and saw Belladonna, unconscious in her cage, and the other villainesses lying in chunks of broken ice.

Discord shrugged, "What? I only did it so she could tell me where Hope is."

Sunset said, "What? But you said that Hope was gone."

Snow Pea spoke up, "It's not true! She's-"

Before she could say more, Discord covered the filly's mouth. He nervously chuckled, "What Snow Pea means to say is that Hope might still be alive."

Sunset and Spike didn't buy this and the dragon crossed his arms and asked sternly, "All right. What's _really_ going on here?"

Discord sputtered, "Well, I don't know!"

Sunset said, "Yes, you do! You just won't tell us what it is!"

"Don't, won't. They're the same thing, right?"

"No! You know something about all of this! You just don't want to tell us!"

"Well, that's absurd! Why wouldn't I want to tell you?!"

"Why won't you?!"

At that moment, Discord lost it and blurted out, "Because she's Radiant Hope!"

Spike and Sunset were both in shock until they heard a voice say, "Your sentiment betrays you, Discord."

They looked to see that Belladonna was out of her cage! The Umbrum princess then delivered a mighty blast of magic that drove Discord against the wall. When he fell to the ground, Nightmare Moon wrapped three of the royals in chains.

When he saw this, Discord let out a pained gasp, "No…"

Belladonna walked towards Discord and continued, "Radiant Hope is gone, but Belladonna remains."

Discord said, "No. I know Hope is still here, in you. Please let me speak to her."

"Hmm…A futile effort, but worthy of a sporting chance."

Discord then sighed, "Look, Hope, you're not the prissy princess I once thought you were. You were always a good princess, and not just to the crystal ponies. You were always my friend…but then I turned you away." His heart became heavy with emotion as he continued, "I was never a good friend to you, Hope. I should've seen how much I upset you, but I was such an idiot. I was so blinded by my own chaotic ways that I didn't realize it sooner. All I wanted was freedom, but now I'd trade that to get you back."

Belladonna remained silent until Adagio offered, "Well, I don't know about saving your friend, but if you want to save your little family, all you have to do is join us."

Aria said, "So whaddya say?"

Discord looked at the three royals tied up in chains and then sighed, "All right, but they _have_ to be unharmed at all times."

The royals gasped while Sonata said, "All righty. A deal's a deal."

When the chains loosened around the royals, Snow Pea ran into Discord's arms and pleaded, "Don't do it, Uncle Discord! We'll never get you back."

Discord hugged his niece and sorrowfully said, "But I failed Radiant Hope." His voice then choked up as he said, "I'm not going to fail you, too."

Snow Pea began to cry as she raced into Sunset's arms. Discord also shed tears as he said, "Trust me, if I could just fix everything, I would. But right now…" He sniffled, "This is the only way. I'm sorry. I truly am." He walked to the villainesses and said in a calm voice, "All right. I'm ready to join you."

Aria then said, "Yeah, not gonna happen."

Before he knew it, Nightmare Moon wrapped chains around him and fastened them to the floor. The other royals were also chained again.

Discord grunted, "But we had a deal! You promised they wouldn't be harmed!"

Adagio said, "Well, there's a problem with that. We knew you were going to turn your back on us just so you could save your precious family. If you had joined us just for evil, that might've been a different story. But the way we see it, we're going to eliminate the biggest threat to our takeover."

Sonata said, "Bye-bye, Discord!"

Snow Pea shrieked, "No!"

The sirens then began singing and amassing their magic into a growing red ball of energy. When Adagio had mentioned family to Discord, it opened a small crack of goodness in Belladonna's black heart. Belladonna started thinking of how she had hurt her mother so that she herself would never get hurt again. So did that apply to emotional pain or physical pain? Or both?

The sirens then fired the mass of energy at Discord…only for Belladonna to fly in its path and take the hit instead.

Everyone in the room was shocked by Belladonna's sudden deed. The sirens were distressed by this because they knew what it meant.

Adagio shouted, "What have you done?!"

Just then, the two pearls on the neckpiece began to glow white and sent jagged lines of white all over Belladonna's body. The inky blackness cracked by the light slinked away from her body, revealing an unconscious princess underneath. The darkness then slithered back into the sirens' pendants, cracking them in the process.

The sirens shrieked, "NOOOO!"

When the pendants broke, there was a bright amaranth flash. That flash reversed a few evil spells; Nightmare Moon transformed back into Princess Luna, Pip appeared – now freed of the mirror realm – and Screwball and Apple Jewel broke free of their stone prisons. When the flash died off, the sirens themselves were tiny fish jumping and gasping on the hard floor.

Screwball put them in a fishbowl and said, "I think I'm going to keep them as pets."

Princess Luna grabbed the fishbowl and chuckled, "I might have a better place for these troublemakers."

The royals all embraced each other. Screwball told her father, "Now I know how you felt being turned to stone. It's not comfortable."

Discord chuckled as he rubbed Screwy's head, "Don't I know it."

Snow Pea hugged Luna and said, "I knew you were still in there! I knew it!"

Luna smiled, "Yes, you did. I'm glad you never lost faith that I would come back."

Just then, Discord heard groaning and turned to see somepony on the floor. Radiant Hope had returned, but her colors had dulled and she had no cutie mark.

Discord ran to her and held her, saying, "Hope! You're back! But how is it possible?"

Radiant Hope said while gasping, "The Sirens' deal is broken. They promised I wouldn't get hurt."

"Deal? What kind of deal?"

"Long ago, I had fallen in love with Sombra, but he chose Celestia instead. I got over that heartbreak, but it came back when you turned away from me. It grew tenfold when Sombra and Celestia turned you to stone, so I went to the Sirens to become somepony else in exchange for never getting hurt again."

"Oh, Hope. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have deserted you like that. Some friend I was, always running off and playing mischief on other ponies. If I was a better friend, then maybe…maybe none of this…would've happened."

"No. I'm to blame. I shouldn't have trusted the Sirens. I succumbed to the darkness and killed my mother…" Her eyes glistened and her voice choked, "…because I didn't want to be a princess anymore."

When Hope let out a sob, Discord said, "Hey, hey, hey. Save your breath, now. You can't waste it on crying."

"I'm afraid I don't have much left."

Discord's heart dropped and he breathed, "Hope, you don't mean to say…?"

"It's probably my punishment for doing so much evil as Belladonna. I deserve this fate."

"Hope, please don't…don't say that. Nopony should go through this even for all the evil they had caused. They should be given a second chance. I know because…I was given one. It can be like that for you, too, Hope."

"I might be gone before then."

"No, it's not too late! We can fix this! You've just lost your luster, that's all. I'll take you to Zecora and she can…"

"Discord…" When she touched his cheek, he let out a sound that was half a chuckle and half a sob. She continued, "I forgive you… and when…you see Sombra…again…tell him…I'm sorry…for…everything." As she drew her final breath, her eyes closed, her body stilled, and her head and hoof went limp.

Discord pleaded as he shook her, "Hope, no! No! No! No! No! No! You can't do this to me! You can't…Please…" He started crying when he said, "I'm sorry, Hope…I am so sorry…Please come back…Please…"

Everyone looked at the sad scene with much sorrow. The fillies even started crying and Luna and Pip embraced them in comfort.

Discord sobbed, "I wish I could fix everything."

A tear then fell from his eye and trailed down the chain of the necklace. When it reached the pendant, the pendant absorbed the tear and flashed as proof. The necklace continued glowing and soon everypony noticed this. It then lifted Hope into the air and a blinding flash of light followed. When the group of royals opened their eyes, they found that they were back in the Frozen North. The sky was now an ominous green and the shadow nearly covered the moon. Another flash followed and the royals had to close their eyes again.

When they opened their eyes once more, the night sky had reverted back to its normal color, the moon was once again bright, and the red crystal had vanished completely. What amazed them most was that Radiant Hope was on the ground again…alive and sparkling!

Discord cried happily as he embraced her and twirled her around, "Hope, you're alive! Thank goodness you're alive!"

Luna deduced, "It must've happened when you shed that tear, Discord. The Water Necklace controls any liquid and can derive power from it. You have chaotic powers and your tear was born of love for Radiant Hope. When combined with the Water Necklace's magic, I think it _did_ fix everything, just like you wished!"

Hope asked, "But how do we know that it broke the sleeping curse?"

"Well, the ponies would normally be asleep at this time, so we will have to wait until the morning."

Apple Jewel asked, "You mean when Grandma raises the sun?"

Luna smiled, "Yes. That's how you'll tell the curse is broken."

Sunset said, "Well, if the curse is broken, then that might mean we can take the jewelry off now."

Hope said, "Well, let's find out."

To their delight, Snow Pea, Sunset, and Radiant Hope were all able to take off their pieces of Elemental Jewelry.

Snow Pea said, "All right! No more heat headaches!"

The royals all laughed at this.

 ** _AN: The beginning scene where Discord tells Belladonna she made a mistake is a nod to a scene from the_** **Star Wars Rebels** ** _season finale "Fire Across the Galaxy". I know, there are a lot of_** **Star Wars** ** _references in this story. I couldn't help it!_**

 ** _Happy Discord Day, everypony!_**


	22. A New Start

The royals returned to Yakyakistan to spend the night. The yaks were overjoyed to have their snow princess back. Snow Pea proudly told them that she destroyed the Umbrum and Sunset conjured up a screen to prove it. The yaks held a feast in Snow Pea's honor as well as Hope's and Luna's for their return. Of course, the royals had to return the Earth Bracelets to the yaks so they would be safely hidden again. Just before the royals went to sleep, Discord sent out notes for the rest of family to find when they woke up again so they wouldn't worry.

Snow Pea awoke to soft rustling and found that Luna was slowly stepping out of the lodge. She decided to follow her great-aunt and see what was going on.

She was surprised when Luna turned to face her and said, "Hello, Snow Pea."

Snowy gasped, "Oh, Aunt Luna! I thought you wouldn't notice that I was here."

Luna chuckled, "I can always tell when my nieces and nephews are behind me. Besides, your cutie mark gave you away." Snow Pea giggled and then Luna said, "Congratulations on such an accomplishment. We shall have a cuteceanera with the family. But first, would you like to see me lower the moon?"

"Oh, yes! I'd love that."

"Then let's go." The princesses made their way to a lookout post and then Luna said, "All right, Snow Pea. Are you ready?"

"Yep!"

Luna's horn then glowed blue and the moon lowered in the sky. As it sunk into the horizon, Luna whispered, " _Gratias lunam et stellas._ Thank you, my dear moon and brilliant stars for…quite an eventful night." She and Snow Pea both chuckled until the moon vanished completely. Luna then turned to her niece and said, "Wait for it."

Snow Pea waited with anticipation for the dawn, and to her delight, the sun rose into the sky. It was so majestic for Snow Pea to witness her great-aunt lower the moon to make way for the dawn. Now she wanted to see Luna raise the moon at night.

Snowy cried, "That was awesome, Aunt Luna!"

Luna playfully asked, "Which part? The moon lowering or the sun rising?"

"All of it! It was so cool!"

Luna chuckled, "I'm glad you liked it all, Snow Pea."

Just then, they heard a groan below them and saw Discord coming out of the lodge in his nightclothes. He rubbed his eyes and groaned, "Can you turn the sunlight down? It's hurting my eyes."

Hope then emerged from the lodge and rubbed her eyes as well. She said, "I think it's been too long since we've seen the sun."

Luna and Snow Pea chuckled at that.

Shining Armor and Cadance waited at the dais just after they received a strange note. It read:

 _Don't worry. We're A-okay. You were all under a sleeping curse and the moon stayed in the sky. Naturally, we went on a quest to fix everything and sent the others to the Everfree Castle. If we're not here by the time you wake up, we will be here shortly._

 _See ya!_

 _Discord and family_

 _P.S. There's somepony you're_ definitely _going to want to see._

The couple was confused by this, but then decided to wait at the dais. When they got there, they were shocked to see that the Crystal Heart had disappeared.

Shining Armor muttered under his breath, "I hope everything _is_ okay like Discord said."

Suddenly, a crystal guard rushed to the dais and said, "Your Highnesses, a team of yaks is headed this way with a sledded caravan!"

Moments later, a team of yaks appeared from the horizon and pulled the caravan all the way to the dais. When they stopped, one yak said, "Distinguished Majesties, we bring you members of family."

Just then, the fillies jumped out of the wagon and cried, "Aunt Cadance! Uncle Shiny!"

The couple embraced the fillies as Cadance chuckled, "Girls! Thank goodness you're all right! What happened while we were all asleep?"

Screwball said, "Well, it's kind of a long story."

A voice then came from the wagon, "One best told over a nice cup of tea."

At that moment, Discord climbed out of the wagon and Spike, Sunset, and Pip followed suit.

Shining Armor asked, "Well, what I want to know is what happened to the Crystal Heart."

Luna then emerged from the wagon, "I believe there's a pony who can tell you that."

To Cadance and Shining Armor's surprise, a crystal pony stepped out from the wagon and pulled the Crystal Heart from a burlap bag.

Cadance gasped, "You're…Radiant Hope!"

Hope chuckled, "Yep." She used her magic to put the Crystal Heart back in its place. The Heart spun and a burst of light followed as confirmation of being secure.

Shining Armor said, "All right. Tell us everything."

In the foyer of the Crystal Palace, the royals who had been on the adventure told them everything. Hope told them about what happened to her and how she finally became free of the darkness. Shining Armor, Cadance, and Skyla were all surprised when Snow Pea showed them her cutie mark. Skyla embraced her while Skyla's parents congratulated Snowy.

Cadance then asked, "Hope, you're the heir to the throne. What should we do?"

Hope said, "Well, here's the thing. I'm thinking about stepping down from princesshood."

Everyone was shocked to hear this, especially Discord. He sputtered, "But-but you can't give up the throne just because Cadance and Shining Armor are ruling the Crystal Empire!"

Hope explained, "It's not that. I think these two are the right rulers for the kingdom. I never felt like I could be a princess. All I wanted was to be free to do what I loved most. I have a gift for healing, and being a princess will keep me too busy to help other ponies."

Shining then asked, "So you want to be a doctor, then?"

"Well, basically. I bet it'll really help a lot of ponies out there. I could travel the land when needed and make house calls if necessary. Being a princess is an honorable position, but I think it'll be too much for me. Besides, I wouldn't mind a little adventure now and then."

Discord sniffled, "Oh, Hope, what a sweet thing to say." He then asked the royal couple, "So, what do you think?"

Cadance and Shining Armor looked at each other and nodded. The pink alicorn then said, "We think it's a wonderful idea."

Shining Armor proclaimed, "From this day forth, you are an official physician in our royal court."

Hope smiled, "Thank you! Thank you both! I'd be honored to be a royal doctor."

Apple Jewel then asked, "But what about the Water Necklace?"

Before Hope could answer, Cadance said, "I think it's in good hooves."

Hope asked, "But what about the kelpies? What will they think?"

The alicorn replied, "They might agree with me. I'm sure it's in capable hooves. We could throw in an extra spell to keep it from being stolen."

Luna agreed, "My daughter's right. And besides, the necklace is powerful magic. Somepony has to protect it. And that pony is you."

Hope said, "Well, if you insist."

Cadance suggested, "We can talk to the kelpies if you like."

"I think that would be wonderful."

The Everfree royals arrived in Canterlot to wait for the others. After they had awakened, Zecora told them everything she knew about what had happened. They then found that they had received a note from Discord telling them to go to Canterlot and wait there. Celestia and Sombra were anxiously waiting as well since they had received a note saying that Luna was all right.

Rainbow Dash said, "Have we really been asleep for that long?"

Twilight said, "That's what Zecora told us."

Celestia said, "Since I was under the sleeping curse, the sun never came up. We have to assume it was just one night."

Scootaloo added, "One _very_ long night."

Just then, a guard entered the throne room and said, "Your Highnesses, the other royals have returned."

He then stepped aside and let the group of family members enter the room.

Apple Bloom cried as she raced into Pip's arms, "Pip! I thought I lost ya!"

Pip chuckled, "Oh, come now, Bloom. You can't get rid of me that easily."

Fluttershy hugged her husband and daughter and said, "Thank goodness you both are all right! I would've been worried sick about you!"

Screwball said, "But I bet you had sweet dreams to keep you happy, right?"

Discord retorted, "Well, I experienced a nightmare about you and Mommy abandoning me!"

Fluttershy gasped, "What?"

Discord explained, "Long story."

Applejack embraced her husband and daughter as she said, "You two must've had a hay of an adventure while we were all asleep."

Spike chuckled, "Yep."

Apple Jewel agreed, "And we can't wait to tell you about it!"

Celestia and Luna embraced and the elder sister said, "I'm glad you're back safely, sister."

Luna nodded, "I am as well, Celie."

Sunset and Twilight hugged each other as Twilight said, "I'm so glad you're okay, Sun-Sun. I'm surprised you and Snow Pea were able to get the jewelry off."

Sunset shrugged, "Well, it's been quite an adventure, Twi-Twi."

The twins both laughed at that.

Snow Pea got into a group hug with her family. She said, "I'm so happy you're all okay, guys! I was so worried about you."

Button – who had just arrived from Marendelle – asked Snow Pea, "So what was it like being on a quest?"

Snowy answered, "It was exciting, that's for sure. I learned to accept my powers and something exciting happened."

LB asked, "What?"

Snowy smiled, "Well, I want to show everypony."

LB then shouted at the top of her lungs, "Hey, everypony! Snow Pea wants to show you something!"

Snow Pea blushed furiously as all eyes turned to the family. Sweetie Belle chuckled, "I don't think Snow Pea meant it in that way."

Snowy said, "That's okay, Mom. Besides, I think you're all going to like it."

She used her magic to take off the cloth that had covered her flank. Everypony who didn't know gasped in amazement when they saw her cutie mark.

Skater exclaimed, "Lucky!"

Whirl Wind said, "Wicked!"

Starling said, "That's so cool!"

Celestia smiled, "Yes, we are all very happy you got your cutie mark, Snow Pea. We're all proud of you."

Snow Pea said, "Thank you."

Discord said, "And now there's one more pony I'm sure you'll be surprised to see." He called into the double doors, "Come on in!"

When Radiant Hope stepped into the room, everypony stared at her with a pregnant pause. Hope broke the silence, "Hi, everypony."

Celestia and Sombra rushed to her and cried, "Hope!"

Sombra asked, "Is it really you?"

Hope nodded, "Yes, dear friend. It's me."

Celestia asked, "What happened to you?"

Hope answered, "I think we need to go to the foyer so all of us can explain."

When everyone had gathered into the foyer, Hope and the royals that went on the quest told the family everything.

After Hope had finished telling her story, Sombra shook his head and said, "Oh, Hope…I didn't know you endured so much. I didn't know that you loved me. I am sorry I added to your pain."

Celestia said, "And I am sorry as well. Please forgive us."

Hope said, "Well…It wasn't really your fault. I know you two are a happier couple than Sombra and I would've been. He made a good choice. I didn't. It didn't really matter to me whether or not Sombra and I would've been together. All I wanted was for my friends to be happy."

Celestia said, "Yet you sacrificed your own happiness to the point of turning evil."

"I know. It was really stupid of me to trust the sirens in the first place."

Sombra comforted, "You just wanted to get away from misery. That's all."

Hope said, "Yes, but now I know that I shouldn't run away from my problems."

Sombra chuckled, "Then I guess we're in the same boat."

"What?"

"You see, a long time ago, I was cursed by a changeling queen to have darkness within me. I stayed away from my family to keep them safe. It wasn't until Discord and most of my sons-in-law convinced me to save my daughters. When I went to save my girls, they told me how much they loved me and hence broke the curse."

"I think the same thing happened to me when I took the blow for Discord. I valued my friendship, but I had forgotten that as Belladonna."

Discord admitted while in garbage man attire and holding a trash bag labeled 'Hope's Friendship', "Well, I'm pretty much to blame by dumping it away…" He dumped the trash bag in a wastebasket before continuing, "…before I got turned into stone."

Hope turned to Discord and asked, "So you wanna be friends again?"

Discord shook her hoof as he said, "Let's."

Sombra asked, "I have a question. Why didn't you tell me you were friends with Discord?"

Discord put his hands on his hips and asked, "Yeah. Why?"

Hope explained, "Well, I thought that Sombra wouldn't like Discord if he saw him with me."

Sombra said, "Oh, Hope, I always judge ponies and creatures by their actions, not their appearances. If you had told me about Discord before he began wreaking chaos, things would've turned out completely different."

Screwball then pointed out, "But then Mommy and Daddy wouldn't have met and I wouldn't have been born!"

Her grandfather chuckled, "You make a good point, Screwball."

Hope added, "And if I didn't meet the Sirens that night, things would've been different, too."

Discord said, "So either way, we could've avoided this plot."

All the royals laughed at this.

*Several months later*

 _FWOOSH!_

"No."

 _FWOOSH!_

"No."

 _FWOOSH!_

"Not right."

 _FWOOSH!_

"Too classy."

 _FWOOSH!_

"Too wild."

 _FWOOSH!_

"Aah! Too creepy!"

Roller Blade groaned, "Come on, Snow Pea. Make a cake topper already!"

Snow Pea said, "Okay, okay. I think I've got it!" She concentrated her magic on the Nightmare Moon cake topper and morphed the ice into the shape on a crescent moon with Princess Luna sitting on the lower curve of the moon.

She smiled, "There! Perfect!"

Just then, her mother, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom walked over to the table and Sweetie asked, "So how's it going over here?"

Roller Blade said, "Snow Pea _finally_ made a cake topper for the cake."

Snowy asked, "So, do you like it?"

AB said, "Well, I think Luna's gonna love it."

A voice then said, "Hmm…It still needs something."

The ponies turned in surprise to see Princess Luna. She wore a shimmering white gown to reflect the moon she raised and lowered each night.

The ponies stood in awe of her until Roller Blade exclaimed, "Aunt Luna, you look amazing!"

Luna smiled, "Thank you." The alicorn then said, "Snow Pea, will you…" She then whispered the rest in Snowy's ear.

Snowy gasped in excitement and asked Luna, "You mean it?"

Luna nodded, "Of course."

Snow Pea happily morphed the ice again and this time, it took on the shapes of Luna and Snow Pea.

Snow Pea hugged her great-aunt and said, "Thank you, Aunt Luna! Thank you!"

Luna chuckled, "You're welcome. Besides, it would be more fitting if we celebrated your wintery powers as well."

It was early in the morning and the royals were making last-minute preparations for the Winter Moon Festival, which was held in Ponyville this year. The smaller royal children built snow castles with the Ponyville children, Rainbow Dash and her family hung the twinkling lights, and Rarity supervised clothing the tables with constellation sheets. Applejack and Apple Bloom heated the hot apple cider and set down the apple turnovers while Flash and Spike prepared the mooncakes and chocolate fountains.

Spike tried to dip his finger in a fountain, but Applejack chastised him, "Honey, no dipping your finger in the chocolate fountain!"

Spike whined, "But it looks so delicious!"

Flash pushed him away from the fountain as he said, "I got an idea. How about we get the Tarax Hippo costume ready?"

Spike sighed, "Looks like I'll be it again this year." He then muttered, "Though I'm not looking forward to the garlic smell."

In another area of the field, Fluttershy, Discord, and Screwball were releasing Ug Bugs into the air.

Discord kept shooing them from his head and grunted, "Dearest, why should there be Ug Bugs every year? Couldn't we do – I don't know – fireflies or something?"

Screwball giggled, "Daddy, fireflies don't like the cold."

"Well, _I_ don't like the cold!" Discord shook as he wrapped his arms around himself, "It freezes my tail."

Fluttershy chuckled as she flew up to meet him face-to-face, "Don't worry, honey. I'm sure some hot chocolate will warm you right up."

Discord melted under her sweet caress, something he feared he might never feel again when he thought she was gone. He tempted her, "You know, I think some of your kisses will set me on fire."

Fluttershy giggled, "Oh, you…" Discord grabbed her and turned her before leaning in for a kiss.

Screwball turned her head away and muttered, "Just don't look, Screwy. Just don't look."

Twilight then came up to Flash and said, "So is everything ready?"

Flash replied, "As ready as we'll ever be."

Sunset then walked up to them and said, "Well, we're still expecting a cake from Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich said they were bringing it."

Flash said, "Wait. Don't we already have a cake over there?" He then gestured to the cake on the table with the ice cake topper Snow Pea made.

Twilight put a hoof to her chin and said, "You're right. That _does_ seem a bit odd. I wonder…"

A high-pitched voice squealed, "Twiiillligght!"

The trio turned to see the party couple with Shining Armor, Cadance, and Skyla. They were followed by the Cakes, who were hauling a big box behind them. Twilight and Flash soon noticed how the party couple looked a bit shaky…with excitement.

Sunset said, "Whoa, what's got you two so revved up?"

Both Cheese and Pinkie whined when they glanced at each other. Cheese then said, "We've been working on a surprise."

Pinkie then blurted out, "But we have to wait till the festival starts!"

Both Flash and Twilight asked, "What?"

The party couple then said, "See ya!" They then dashed off at lightning speed.

It wasn't long before the festival started. Everypony gathered for the occasion. They honored Princess Luna and, on the dark blue alicorn's behalf, her great-niece Snow Pea. Snow Pea felt like she truly belonged in this moment. She thought that most everything about the festival was meant just for her and Aunt Luna. Suddenly, a sleigh abruptly arrived. The royals were shocked to see Radiant Hope on it…with Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Starlight Glimmer!

Discord embraced Hope and said, "Hope, you came! I was wondering if you got my letter."

Hope chuckled, "I did. I'm sorry it took me so long. I wanted to invite some friends."

Scootaloo asked in disbelief, "'Friends'?"

Hope smiled, "Yes, Scootaloo. They've changed, just as I have. I would like for you to give these three a second chance."

This presented Sunset a chance to talk to Starlight one-on-one on a personal level. Starlight may have raised her, but Sunset didn't truly know her at all. When she read her former guardian's diaries, she felt like Starlight needed another chance. However, Starlight couldn't know that her diaries had been read, so Sunset had to be careful.

The amber unicorn stepped forward and said, "I'll give Starlight a chance."

Starlight was surprised by this. She then managed to say, "But…I thought you hated me for locking you away."

Sunset shrugged, "Well…I don't think locking _you_ up was any better. Let's be friends, Starlight. I forgive you for all those years. Will you accept my offer?"

Starlight's eyes began leaking tears as a smile spread across her face. She then hugged Sunset and said, "Yes, Sunset! I do! Thank you!"

The crowd clapped at the happy moment. Now it was Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's turn. The pair came face-to-face with the adopted princesses, but Diamond Tiara found it hard to get the words out.

She said, "Well, um…We, uh…You didn't…Umm…"

Silver Spoon then spoke for her, "What she means to say is that we have seen the error of our ways and that we would like to humbly apologize for our actions on Marendelle."

Diamond Tiara interjected, "I'll do the apologizing, Silver Spoon." She paused and then nervously chuckled, "Eh-heh-heh. Sorry. I mean, thanks for helping, Silver Spoon, but I think that I should apologize for us." She turned to the trio and rubbed the back of her head, tittering, "I'm sorry. I'm just so new at being nice."

DT then sighed, "Look, I almost did horrible things to you. I almost forced Button to marry me. Can either of you forgive me?"

Button, being gracious, nodded and said, "I forgive you." He turned to the trio and said, "What about you, girls?"

The three princesses turned to each other and Apple Bloom said, "I say we give them a chance. Whaddya say?"

Sweetie Belle nodded, "We should."

The two of them looked at Scootaloo. She let out a small sigh, "Okay. I'll give it a shot."

DT and Silver Spoon both asked with hope, "So that means you will?"

The adopted princesses faced the pair and said in unison, "Yes. We forgive you."

DT cheered, "All right!"

She then embraced Sweetie Belle while Silver Spoon embraced Scoots and AB.

Diamond Tiara then said, "First, I want to say something I never said on Marendelle." She extended a hoof and said, "Congratulations on winning the contest…and Button Mash's heart. You were the right mare for him."

Sweetie then shook her hoof and said, "Thank you. I'm sure you'll find somepony you'll love, too."

"That is, if I can work on my social skills."

The crowd chuckled at that.

About half an hour had passed before Shining Armor and Cadance went up to a platform and tapped the microphone to get the ponies' attention.

When the crowd's attention was diverted to the couple, Shining Armor said, "Thank you, one and all, for coming to the Winter Moon Festival this year."

Cadance then said, "It is a special time of year for my mother, and I want to take the time to tell her how much I appreciate her and love her despite all the times I've been difficult."

The crowd chuckled at that.

Cadance continued, "Mother, I know how much work it was to raise me. Believe me, I'm facing those same hurdles with Skyla. But somehow…" She gave Shining Armor a smirk before continuing, "…I think Aunt Celestia might give me advice about raising two."

Both Luna and Twilight cried out, " _Two?!_ "

Shining Armor said, "That's right…"

When the box behind them collapsed to reveal a yellow, pink, and blue cake, the couple shouted out, "We're having a baby!"

Just then, Pinkie and Cheese lost total control and started shouting out, "A baby! It's a baby! Another baby!"

The party couple continued to bounce around as Luna hugged her daughter and Twilight embraced Shining Armor. The crowd erupted into cheers at the joyous news.

The festival continued throughout the day until it was dusk. The ponies remained quiet with anticipation while Luna prepared to raise the moon. Celestia lowered the sun and every pony held their breath as Luna's horn began to glow…

It was so beautiful in Snow Pea's eyes. True, she did get a chance to see Luna raising the moon before Snowy had to leave for Marendelle, but this felt special to her. It was because the ponies at the festival were lucky enough to see Luna raising the moon with their own eyes.

She could relate to Luna in so many ways. They had a love for snow, they weren't exactly social butterflies, and they had so much beauty to offer with their gifts. Now Snow Pea knew who she wanted to be like when she grew up: her Grandma Tia, her mother, her Aunt Twilight, her Aunt Sunset…and her Aunt Luna.

When the ponies cheered at the sight of the moon rising, Discord lifted Snow Pea up and said, "Okay, Snow Pea. Blow!"

This always followed the traditional rising of the moon. Luna would often blow the giant bukkehorn to celebrate. But this year, that honor fell unto Snow Pea. But before she could blow into the bukkehorn, she let out a sneeze. That sneeze created a giant snowball that blew out of the bukkehorn and into the air.

The adults were stunned while the kids cried out, "Whoa!"

Discord set Snowy on the ground as he said, "Hang on. I got this!" He then flashed into the air and telekinetically pulled the snowball towards him.

Snow Pea gasped while Sunset cried, "Discord, wait!"

Discord then conjured up a tennis racket and swung it, saying, "Serve's up!"

When he hit the snowball, masses of snowflakes fell onto the crowd and the snowy field. The ponies all laughed and jumped in the freshly-fallen snow. The kids looked all around for Discord until they saw an oddly-shaped snowman with four limbs on the ground.

Screwball chuckled as Discord shook the snow off his head, "You're the awesomest dad in the world!"

Fire Spark added, "And the most amazing uncle."

Discord smiled, "Aww…" The snow melted with his heart at the nice things the kids said about him. He spread his arms and said, "Group hug!"

The kids all jumped into his arms and embraced him. It was truly a beautiful night for the Winter Moon Festival...and no one could've been happier.

 ** _AN: Surprise! There's going to be a sixth installment! And guess what? CartoonNerd12 will be writing it! Of course, I'll be co-writing it with her. The sixth (and hopefully last) story is called_** **Crown of Winter** ** _and it's based off_** **The Snow Queen.** ** _It will involve three major plots: suitors, snow, and…Oops! I can't tell you any more! I might give it away!_**

 ** _Anyway, just like with_** **What Lies Within** ** _, we are waiting a few months before releasing_** **Crown of Winter** ** _. We decided to release it in May, when the sixth season starts and_** **Alice Through the Looking Glass** ** _comes out. Trust us, there are some elements in those two things that might prove useful._**

 ** _In the meantime, why don't you occupy yourselves with CN12's oneshot series or any of the other stories my sister and I have penned? If you decide to check them out, great! Well, see you when_** **Crown of Winter** ** _comes out! And thank you for your awesome support for the story and the_** **Royal Canterlot Family** ** _series overall! You are all wonderful readers!_**

 ** _P.S. When Discord said that the whole plot could've been avoided, I put in a Trope Namer! Check out the link to the actual page!_**

 ** _/Main/CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot_** ****


End file.
